Project 7904: The Secret Weapon
by tp96
Summary: As if you needed more change in your life, now suddenly your dreams shift into reality. Would you continue running or face the truth? A young girl changes the lives of both Wesley & Angel.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

**This story is for all the Wesley fans out there. I think he is so hot! Anyway constructive criticism and suggestions will be appreciated. **

The dreams are becoming more and more vivid now. Images of battles, of laughter, of tears, and of love constantly invade my mind. The dreams started when I was 18 years old. First, I could only see the outline of their bodies, but when I turned 25, they appeared so clearly I could actually see their faces. These people, who just happen to be men, bring forth different emotions in me…one of parental love and another of desire. I feel like I've known these people all my life, but I know I've never met them before. I'm hoping that these are just dreams, because I'm not ready for any of this to be real.

One of the men especially, I hope never to lay eyes on. The emotions I experience when I dream of him scares the hell out of me. His intense blue eyes always make me feel as if I'm drowning in an ocean. From his perfect British accent to his slim, but muscular build causes my throat to become dry and an intense heat seems to flow through me. And I hate it, because I don't like emotions. They make you weak and vulnerable. Yet, I find myself wishing and hoping to dream of him again just so that I can in someway feel close to him, knowing that this may be the only way to be near him. But I know I must stop this. I have to find a way to push him out of my mind before I drive myself crazy. I've already lost a part of myself and I don't need to lose my mind as well.

A part of me died long ago, but now I get the feeling that these strangers from my dreams can bring those feelings back; that they can bring me back to life. Right now I'm not alive. I just exist.

**Note: This is just an introduction to the story. Review please!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Everything around me appears fuzzy and then slowly I start to see a room come in to focus. I seem to be in some sort of a training room with everything from exercise bikes to sit-up machines. Even more strange is that there appears to be an array of weapons stored in a chest against the back wall. Suddenly a door opens and two individuals enter the room. One is me and the other is a fairly tall guy who has a strong build with dark spiky hair. The way we're interacting it's as if we know each other. We're sparring and working out together. We're even talking and joking around. _Wait a minute…he's hugging me! Oh god did he just say what I just thought he said._ But it's really what I said back that startled me. The dream ended abruptly and I woke up in a cold sweat with my heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of my chest. I kept replaying those words over and over in my head. _I love you Kaia. I'll always be there if you need me. I love you too Dad…I love you too._

Could this guy be my real father? God why do I keep dreaming about this guy and it's always as if I'm watching a movie or something. It's almost like an out of body experience, because everything from the touches to the emotions seems so real. I feel so connected to him...to a person that may not even exist. Deep in my heart I know there is a strong possibility though that he may truly exist. I've dreamt about things before and then they actually happened. I guess you can call them visions. I'm scared that the dreams may become reality. I would like to know if he is a real person, but I almost hope that he isn't.

If I actually meet him I might not be alone anymore. But I can't risk his safety. I can't risk that he may get hurt. Ever since my adopted parents died or shall I say was killed, I've kept to myself. _They_ killed my parents to get to me. _They_ tried to take me back and when I failed to appear, they took away the only two people that ever meant anything to me. After my parent's death, I managed to finish high school and I sold the house. I've been living off of the proceeds from the house and my trust fund for the last five years. Thankfully, I managed to get my B.S. degree in Computer Science through Internet courses. Now, I build computer programs for various companies. It's great to work for myself and to not have to report to anyone. The only thing that gets to me is the loneliness. I have to stay lonely though, because anyone who spends time with me will be at risk. You see, they're still following me and tracking my every move. I always manage to lose them for a couple months, but then eventually they find me. Just thinking about it always makes a knot form in the pit of my stomach. There is always a constant fear and apprehension of being captured and taken back to that place. I vowed that they would never be able to perform their experiments on me again. I refuse to be someone's lab rat.

I still haven't figured out who's funding the underground agency that kept me prisoner all those years. They were experimenting with the mutation of human DNA and also held various alien life forces prisoner; all for their sick love of supposed "science". Apparently, I was supposed to be the future. A new breed of super entities that were meant to be half alien and half mutant was supposed to be formed. I was one of the "practice" dummies, but I'm considered a failed experiment. They couldn't make me do what they wanted, which was to be a hired gun or assassin.

The only way I even knew what they were planning was because of my telepathy. That was one the gift they did not seem to know about. I'm still not sure how they didn't find out about it. I know that I can block other telepaths from entering my mind, but with all of the technology they had I'm surprised they didn't know I was a telepath. Sometimes, I think they always knew and allowed me to escape so that they can observe how I perform in the real world outside of that prison they had me in. I will never go back there and I won't drag anyone into this. I'll continue to deal with this on my own. I refuse to let anyone be hurt...not like how they hurt me. Kaia Johnson will have to settle for being alone.

****

After her shower, Kaia had decided to take a walk to clear her head. Plus she was in desperate need of coffee and she was all out at home. She made sure to dress in slightly baggy cargos, a t-shirt, and sneakers to call less attention to her feminine curves. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and grabbed her backpack as she went out the door. All she needed was some Starbucks right now and all would be right with the world. She became lost in her thoughts as she strolled down the sidewalk; her thoughts always going back to the strange dreams she was having. Kaia sighed loudly. She couldn't even enjoy the sunshine without those disturbing dreams plaguing her mind. Could her real father be out there somewhere? Could he be searching for her? Did he even know that she existed and how would he react to having a daughter who could do the things that she could? After all, according to society rules, she was a freak. Kaia shook her head gently. She had to stop thinking like this...giving herself false hope. She had no real parents, because was constructed in a lab. She was just an experiment that had gone wrong.

She had almost made it down the block when she felt the familiar tingly sensation in her head, which usually meant someone, was in danger. She was torn between ignoring it and just going about her business, but she knew she couldn't. She had never ignored her "special instincts" and she wasn't about to do it now...even though using her powers to help people had often gotten her into trouble growing up. Now she just had to focus and figure out where so that she could teleport there. She turned around and ran back to her apartment. She couldn't take the chance of teleporting outside in the open. She could just imagine how people would react seeing that. When she got to her apartment building, she ran up the stairs and opened the main front door. She continued running down the hallway until she got to her apartment door. She entered her apartment and paused for a moment to make sure she had closed and locked the door behind her. By then the tingly sensation in her brain had gotten stronger. She threw her backpack on the floor and concentrated until she felt her body go loose as she teleported. If Kaia had known where she would have ended up, she would have thought twice about it.

When she opened her eyes, she realized she had teleported to someone's office where a serious fight was taking place. There were three guys and a woman all battling about six demons. It wasn't uncommon to come in to contact with various demons in LA, but they rarely struck during the daylight...at least to her knowledge. She did a quick scan of the room and then suddenly her heart stopped. It was him…one of the guys from her dream…the one she had called "dad". She shook off her shock, realizing she had to jump in quickly because he was to busy fighting to notice another one of those demons was creeping up on him. Kaia teleported over to them quickly and gave the demon a karate chop in the stomach and then a spin kick to the face. The demon snarled at her. "You'll pay for that you bitch," he growled.

"Now you (a punch to its face) have (another punch) a very (kick to stomach) dirty (an upper cut to the chin) mouth (finishing with another spin kick)," Kaia responded. They continued to fight a while longer with Kaia countering every one of the demon's moves. She soon grew tired of the fight and decided to end it by breaking the demon's neck with a quick snap. She released the demon and let its body slide to the floor. Kaia wiped the blood off her now split lip and bent over in pain holding her side, as she noted some of her ribs had been broken_. _When she looked up, all the demons were laying on the ground except one that was choking a wiry looking girl with mousy brown hair. Kaia used her telekinesis to lift the demon up and threw its body across the room where it crashed onto a wall. It dropped to the floor where it finally lay unconscious. She then teleported over to it, and crouched down to break the demon's neck quickly...just in case it decided to get back up.

Suddenly the room seemed incredibly quiet. Kaia remained crouched on the floor for a while trying to avoid the obvious confrontation that was about to take place. Her eyes finally roamed the room, giving everyone a long look as she got to her feet...everyone except him. She was afraid to look at him; afraid to look into his eyes. Her worst fears were coming to pass. It seemed like her dreams may have some truth behind them after all. The room stayed quiet a moment longer before Kaia finally decided to break the silence.

**Note: I reposted this chapter because I wanted to write most of it in regular story format instead of in Kaia's view. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia walked over to the girl, still holding her right side and asked her if she was okay. The girl nodded her head but didn't make a move to get up off the floor. Kaia offered her other hand and helped the girl to stand up. "Are you sure you're ok," Kaia asked again. "You're starting to bruise there on your neck. Does it hurt?"

The girl simply stared at Kaia for a moment before she said, "Yes it does."

"Well, I hate to interrupt here but who the hell are you?" Kaia spun around to face the British voice, which belonged to a blonde guy of average height dressed in all black, including a black trench coat. He was now stalking towards her, so she figured she had better answer. She was not afraid of him, but she learned early on to avoid confrontation whenever she could.

"My name is Kaia," she told him. "I'm just trying to help. I wasn't trying to hurt her. As a matter of fact, I think I just saved her life" Kaia couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her tone. Here she was risking her own life to help these people fight these things and this was the thanks she got_._

"Saved her life huh? How do we know you weren't working with those dragonian demons?" Kaia turned towards the source of the new voice. She stood silently, taking in the appearance of a tall African-American guy who was bald headed and dressed in a pin striped suit. Kaia stared at him in confusion, because she had no idea what the hell a dragonian demon was. "Look", she replied. "I don't know what the hell a," and then she stopped as realization sunk in. "Wait, I assume you're talking about those things lying on the ground right now," she asked.

"Oh that's really cute," said the Brit. "Feigning confusion always looks cute on pretty little girls, but we're not buying it." Ok now she was getting pissed off. She could have drinking a Starbuck Mocha Coffee right now, but no...she just had to go play 'Super Woman'. Now she was being accused of working with demons to hurt them, when she had really been just trying to help. The little girl comment hadn't helped either. While she desperately tried to contain my anger, a smooth voice said, "Guys lay off".

Kaia stiffened at the familiarity of that voice, before finally letting her eyes rest on him. Their eyes locked and she saw something flash through his eyes, but she couldn't place what it was. She concentrated on reading his mind. He was confused because he didn't know who she was, but he felt like he knew her somehow. _So he doesn't know who I am. But he obviously feels something is different here…that there is something weird about me._ "You weren't working with those demons right," he asked cautiously. "Tell me I'm not wrong."

Kaia shook her head. "You're not wrong," she responded. "I didn't even know what the hell those things were until _Mr. Clean_ over there told me." The black guy stiffened in anger at her comment and started walking over to her. Kaia glanced at him, giving him bored look, noting that the girl she had saved was now grasping his arm in an attempt to hold him back. "Look," Kaia said, her tone resigned. "I just wanted to help and now that I have I'm just gonna go."

"Wait," he said abruptly. "You're holding your side? Are you hurt?"

"No I'm ok," she replied quickly. "It's just a broken rib or two. I'll be fine." Just as she was about to leave, someone burst into the room talking excitedly about some new prophecy that he had discovered. Kaia's mouth gaped as she stared at the other guy who had appeared in her dreams; the one who could make my throat go dry from just one look. She stood shock still as she felt the familiar feelings of arousal assault her body. Meanwhile, he just continued to look down at his book as he read off of the pages. He stopped suddenly. The room was too quiet. He finally looked up. His eyes scanned the room and then they stopped, focusing intently on the strange young woman before him. The hand containing the book slowly lowered to his side as he stared at her, first with curiosity and then with naked interest.

Kaia dragged her eyes away from him. _Oh god, first I meet someone who might be my father. And now I meet a gorgeous guy who gets my hormones riled up all in the same day_. Finally, he spoke. "What in bloody hell happened here," he asked looking at the bodies of the dead demons littering the floor. "And who are you?"

_Well so much for tact. _"Like I said earlier," she replied defensively. "My name is Kaia. Sorry to drop in on the private demon party here, but I was just trying to help your friends. Don't worry I can show myself out." She couldn't figure out why she was suddenly so angry. It was probably the shock of meeting her 'dream men'. Either which way she didn't care. She just knew she had to get out of there.

"Wait...I'm sorry for being so abrupt with you. My name is Wesley and that's Charles Gunn, the blonde is Spike, that's Fred, and this is our boss Angel. _So that's his name…Angel. My dream dad's name is Angel?_ "Angel huh," she said as she her eyes traveled over to him, taking in his muscular frame. She gave an unlady-like snort. "Isn't that a girl's name," she asked sarcastically.

He chuckled. "Angel is short for Angelus," he responded, running a hand nervously over his spiked hair.

"Oh, Angelus," she said slowly. "That's a _much_ more normal name."

"Wesley, she saved my life," said Fred. "She kind of…of…flung them across the room without even touching them. By the way how did you do that?"

"I have telekinetic abilities," Kaia told her." I can move things with my mind."

"We know what it means little girl," Spike said harshly. "The question is what are you and how can you do that?" _Ok…the little girl comments were getting kind of old._

"First of all," Kaia began angrily. "One I'm not a little girl and two I don't know what the hell I am." She paused for a beat. "I'm still trying to figure that out," she finished softly.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Wesley spoke again. "How did these demons get in here or you for that matter," he asked. "I mean we do appreciate your help, but this place has state of the art security."

_Not that state of the art._ "Look I teleported here. I can sort of tell when people are in danger sometimes. When I focus, I can teleport to where they are. As for those things, I don't know how the hell they got in here. If had known I would get the third degree I would have stayed where I was. I was actually on my way to get some Starbucks, which I am still in desperate need of by the way." Kaia groaned loudly as she felt the pain still assaulting her side.

"You're hurt," Wesley said softly. "You need to rest for a moment. You're holding your side. Is it your ribs?" Before she could protest, she was being led over to a couch. She hadn't even noticed the couch in the room before. She took that time to scan the room, noting that it appeared to be some sort of office.

"She said she thinks she broke them," Angel added as he came towards the pair.

"Actually one of those demons broke them," she countered dryly.

Angel reached out his hand to lift her t-shirt, but then pulled his hand back swiftly. "I just want to check your ribs ok," he said slowly, waiting for her permission. Kaia nodded to give him the ok and he lifted her shirt slightly. He proceeded to press his fingers on her abdomen and she flinched in pain.

"Yeah," said Angel, confirming what he had suspected. "You definitely have some broken ribs. You're abdomen is going to need to be wrapped up tightly to hold those bones in place. We can take you down to our Med Center and get you fixed up."

"No that's okay...I'll be fine," Kaia said plainly. "I heal pretty quickly. The bones will just mend back together. It will still hurt and there will be a hell of a bruise that will fade after a couple days." Everyone just stared at her, the curiosity and awe on their faces apparent.

She wondered inwardly what she was going to do. Angel and Wesley aren't figments of her imagination anymore. They were actually real people. She glanced quickly at the both of them and suddenly she didn't want to leave at all.

**Please review.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia's eyes wandered from person to person, as she continued to wonder what the hell she had gotten herself into. On one hand she did want to know who exactly these men were and what part they played or will play in her life. One the other hand, she felt she needed to walk away now before she got hurt or worse...before she got someone else hurt. _I mean this could really be just one big coincidence right. Having dreams about two men who I just happened to meet doesn't mean anything. It's just one big fluke...right?_ Even as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew instinctively that this was meant to happen and that it was not a coincidence at all. She could feel it in her bones. She _was_ supposed to be in this exact same place at this exact same time and that scared her immensely.

Wesley cleared his throat breaking her out of her thoughts. Her eyes flew to him wildly. She swallowed hard, feeling a strong magnetic pull to him. She wasn't sure if he was feeling the same thing, but there was a faint blush creeping up his neck. Of course there was. She was blatantly staring at him as if he was a piece of meat. Of course he was feeling uncomfortable. She quickly pulled her eyes away from his and stared down at the floor.

"So...um...you can heal people, heal yourself, and fight like no one I've ever seen, well except Angel. Just what exactly are you," said Gunn cautiously. He was watching Kaia curiously, which was a far cry from the glare he had been sending her earlier. She didn't exactly know how to answer his question. What was she? Who was she? Those were questions she had been grappling with all her life.

"I don't...I'm not really---." Kaia sighed audibly. "I'm just someone who saw you needed helped and gave it to you...that's all," she said finally. "I know you would love to hear some long drawn out explanation, but you're not going to get one. Look, I have to go now." She turned to look at Angel once more and stared at him for a moment before teleporting out of the room.

****

_Oh god. I can't believe I just left like that. Why did I leave like that? _She knew why. She was scared. Why did Gunn have to ask her the one question she didn't want to answer? She hated this whole situation. Why is this happening to her? Why now? How could she dream about two strangers and then all of a sudden meet them in person. But that was just it...they might not be strangers. They could be links to her past…her future...and it seems like they might become part of her present.

She couldn't do this to herself. Allowing false hope to fester inside her would bring nothing but trouble. She already had a family. She had a mother and a father who had loved her, but that part of her life was over and she couldn't go back. She refused to let herself become disillusioned that everything could finally be normal and that she could actually be happy again. Experience had taught her that happiness only stayed with her for a short time and then everything goes to hell. They can't ever know...they can't ever find out…about the dreams. She had to stay away from them...no matter what. The question was: could she really do that? Could she really stay away from the one chance she may have at having a family?

Kaia trudged to her bathroom, slowly feeling more alone and confused than ever. She stripped off her clothing and turned on both the hot and cold water. She carefully stepped into the tub, reaching blindly on the shelf for her bottle of shampoo. She began to wash her hair, scrubbing vigorously at her scalp. Then out of nowhere she felt them. Tears were streaming down her face until they blended in with the warm water running down her body.

After her shower, Kaia blow dried her hair straight and wrapped it around her head, pinning it as she went. She knew that it was probably time to a hair cut because her hair was way to long, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She tried hard not to leave the apartment if she didn't have too and that included going to a hair salon. Kaia stared at her reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing her caramel complexion…trying to figure out if she really could be related to Angel. She didn't see how that could be.

First, of all she wasn't even human and Angel appeared to be, even though he was giving off a strangely familiar odor that she knew to be associated with vampires. She was part mutant and part alien; at least that was what her file had said. If Angel was her father, did that mean he wasn't human either? The potential of Angel not being human didn't disturb her. She knew enough about Los Angeles to know that not all creatures here were evil. Sometimes evil came in forms that were much more human than demon.

Kaia felt a rumble go through her stomach, reminding her that she hadn't eaten yet for the morning. She padded barefoot to the kitchen to see if she could dig up something to eat. As she peered inside my refrigerator, she noticed that a trip to the grocery was necessary. She pushed that idea out of her head. There was no way in hell she was going back outside now. Her stomach would just have to settle for some fruit. She grabbed a banana from her fruit bowl and proceeded to head towards her bedroom. She picked up a silk scarf off her dresser and tied it on her head before flopping down unceremoniously on her bed. She stared at the ceiling counting the tiny chips of paint…anything to try to keep her mind off of the drama that was her life. It was times like this where she wished that she was just a normal girl.

Angel stood gazing out of his office window at the city below him vibrating with life. He sighed as he wondered where _she_ was now and how _she_ was doing. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why this girl had affected him so much. He didn't even know who she was or should he say what she was, but that didn't seem to stop him from worrying about her. She just fought some pretty tough demons and walked away without a scratch. Not to mention, she displayed some incredible power. She could teleport, she had healing abilities, and she was telekinetic. What other powers did she possess?

Angel sighed again as he placed his forehead against the glass silently thanking technology for creating the special material that blocked the sun's rays from frying him. He just had to find her or he would drive himself crazy. That girl was hiding something. He could tell by the way she was looking at him or at Wesley for that matter. If he wasn't mistaken, he had seen a flash of desire in her eyes when she glanced at Wesley. He wasn't shocked. A little surprised maybe, but not shocked. Wesley was a good looking guy and he had that quiet brooding appeal that women seemed to loved. Angel wasn't jealous either because she didn't invoke any feeling of want or attraction in him. He just felt as if somehow he knows her and by the look in her eyes…she seemed to know him too.

Angel was still standing gazing out the window when he heard his office door open and shut softly. "What's up guys," he asked without turning to look at his visitors. "Is there something you wanted? I thought I instructed Harmony to inform everyone that I wanted some time alone."

Gunn and Spike exchanged glances before Gunn stepped forward. "Uuh…yeah she told us but we wanted to talk to you about what went down earlier in here today," said Gunn uneasily. "Look…I'm assuming you're brooding in here _alone_ about that strange girl and we---."

"She's not strange," Angel cut in. "She's just…different. Spike and I know more than the rest of you what that's like…don't we Spike." Angel turned around and fixed Gunn and Spike with a cold glare.

"Listen mate," said Spike harshly. "I know this girl's got you all twisted up in knots, but you have to admit her _beaming_ in here at just the right time is a little bloody convenient don't you think. She's beautiful and powerful. That's a deadly combination."

"I'm well aware of the danger here but you don't understand," said Angel, leaning his back against the glass with his arms folded across his chest. "Yes she did happen to arrive at just the right time, but there's a reason for that. My instincts are telling me that this girl…whoever or what she is… was supposed to be here at that exact moment. We were supposed to meet her and we need to find her. I have a feeling about her…in my gut."

"Are you sure you're not feeling that _feeling_ somewhere else," said Spike with a smirk.

Gunn fixed Spike with a glare before shifting his eyes back to Angel. "What Spike is trying to _say_ Angel is that we're just a little worried that you're not taken in by her appearance. It wouldn't be the first time we've met an _evil_ beauty. I mean the girl can throw things with just a thought not to mention with that healing ability she's pretty indestructible."

"No one is indestructible," Spike mumbled.

"Spike is right," said Angel. "She has to have a weakness. With strength comes weakness. We just haven't seen it yet. All I'm saying is that maybe if we talk to her we could find out who she is and put all these questions to rest. She seemed a little jumpy…like she couldn't wait to get away from of us. I don't know about you guys but that sets off alarm bells in my head. Just trust me on this one…ok guys. I need you to back me up here. I'm going to need all your help to find her. So what's the deal? Are you guys going to help me or not?"

"Angel, have you been listening to a word we've said," Spike asked loudly. "This girl could be dangerous. Just leave it be. We'll be looking for trouble if we go searching for her. Please talk some sense into his bloody head Gunn!

Gunn's jaw clenched and he sighed. Angel was one of his best friends…his brother…his family. If Angel needed his help he couldn't just abandon him. Families don't leave each other hanging. They back each other up, even if you don't agree with their decisions. "Yeah man...I got your back. I'll call the file room and see if they can pick up anything related to this girl," said Gunn finally. "I think she said her name was Kaia...right?"

"Yeah," Angel replied, turning around and continued to gaze out the window. "Cross reference that with her description...African-American, about 5'7"...I'm guessing she's about 130 lbs, dark long hair, and brown eyes. Oh and her navel is pierced." Angel turned back around and caught the strange looks Gunn and Spike were giving him. "Remember I saw her stomach when I was checking her ribs...umm...her-her pants had ridden down pretty low and I saw the birthmark," Angel finished awkwardly.

"Yeah sure man...whatever," said Gunn as he chuckled softly. Angel rolled his eyes, because he knew Gunn thought he was checking Kaia out. "I was _not_ checking her out. I just happened to notice those two things when I was checking her ribs," said Angel forcefully. "We investigate things...remember. I'm supposed to notice small details like that."

Spike burst out laughing. "Ok mate...whatever you say. We really believe you. Look I'll help in any way I can, but don't let me have to say I told you so when this blows up in your face."

"Thanks, I would really appreciate your help," said Angel softly. Spike was taken aback. Angel actually ignored his obvious attempt to rile him further. This girl really must have warped his mind. Spike rolled his eyes in annoyance at the fact that Angel didn't respond to his comment the way he wanted.

Spike cursed under his breath and shoved his hands into the pockets of his black leather coat. "I'll start checking the streets later tonight and see what I can find out," Spike said. "Maybe the underground demon world knows something about her."

"Ok...good," was all Angel said before he sat down in his chair wearily and turned back around to face the window...cutting off the conversation.

Spike glanced at Gunn and mouthed "talk to him". Gunn glared at Spike and gave him a hand motion to leave. Spike glared back at Gunn and stalked over to the door. He had to get of there before he blew a fuse. Just as he opened the door Wesley came barreling through bumping right into him.

"Blood hell," Spike cursed. "Watch where the hell you're going!" And with that he roughly pushed pass Wesley out the door. Wesley raised a brow and turned back to face Gunn and Angel. "What's his problem now," Wesley asked quietly.

Gunn sighed. "Nothing man...he's just being the jerk we all know and love. Come on in and we'll tell you all about it." Wesley nodded as he closed the door shutting the rest of Wolfram and Hart out.

**Alright please review.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

"Did you just say the jerk we all know and love," Angel asked. "Speak for yourself," he said sarcastically, swiveling his chair back around to face Gunn and Wesley. "I have never loved that guy and I don't intend to ever love him in the future, but he his good for something, which is why we keep him around."

Gun snorted which brought a small smile from Angel. "Well at least he's actually smiling now," Gunn remarked. "Wesley you should have seen him just a couple minutes ago. It was brood city man. He's all worked up about that girl that was here earlier." At Gunn's comment Angel's expression immediately returned pensive. Wesley glanced at Angel with curious eyes. He did notice that Angel seemed a little out of it...or troubled you might say. Interesting. He thought he was the only one whose thoughts were stuck on this mysterious girl.

Apparently she had managed to shake up the both of them from their brief encounter with her. Wesley felt his cheeks flame at the way she blatantly stared at him. It had been quite unnerving, but he couldn't say he didn't like her looking at him. After all she was beautiful, even though she obviously tried to hide her looks with baggy clothing. But one thing intrigued him about her especially and that was her powers...her strange abilities. She was not human Wesley gathered. Rarely anyone in this town was completely human anymore.

There was so much evil lurking everywhere; seeping into everyone and everything. Sometimes it seemed as if all the good had been drained out of the earth. Even this huge law firm where they worked was a great source of evil. Wolfram & Hart used to be a place where any kind of demon or evil could come to get help or legal representation. Now Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Spike, and Fred ran most of the day to day operations, along with the help of hundreds of employees. They tried to use the company's resources to combat evil, but sometimes it seemed pointless. There always seemed to be another source of evil lurking around the corner waiting to replace the one they had just eradicated.

Wesley shook his head gently to rid himself of those thoughts and his mind strayed back to the girl he had met earlier. She was so beautiful...tough...and innocent all at the same time, but she was hiding something. That he was sure of. He had secretly already started his own search to find her, not sure of what Angel would think if he had brought it to his attention. He hated keeping secrets from his friends though so he knew he would have to tell Angel what he had discovered so far.

Wesley had already learned a hard lesson about trusting his friends and being honest. He had finally regained everyone's trust and he was not going to risk it for some strange girl he barely knew, even if she was hot as hell. Wesley groaned at where his thoughts had strayed to yet again. To tell the truth, this fixation he had with this girl was maddening and quite frustrating. What was it about her that had him all tied up in knots? Wesley took a deep breath, gripping the file he held tightly before he went on to tell Angel his findings.

"Angel...I know you didn't request this, but I've already began an investigation on this mysterious girl," said Wesley with a cautious tone. Angel surprised him by appearing to be greatly interested.

"_Really_," Angel replied, as his eyebrows rose in interest. "What have you got so far?" Angel regarded Wesley closely. If he didn't know better he would think Wesley was nervous. Then it suddenly occurred to him that Wesley thought he would have reacted differently.

"It's alright Wesley," Angel said softly. "I've already discussed this with Gunn and Spike. As a matter of fact, Spike intends to do some investigating for me later tonight." Wesley breathed a sigh of relief before he could catch himself.

Gunn slapped Wesley on the back playfully. "Well I'll go down to the file room myself and see if they have anything on her," he said.

As Gunn turned to leave, Wesley stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Wait, I've already gone down there...and...well...I've found something," Wesley said firmly. Gunn's eyebrows rose in surprise, as he exchanged a glance with Angel. He wondered if Angel was thinking the same thing he was, that this girl had obviously affected Wesley on some level as well. Angel stood up and walked around his desk and held his hand out to take the file Wesley was holding.

"She appears to be a loner...lives alone and doesn't have any friends, which doesn't surprise me since she's...umm...a little...strange shall we say," Wesley stated. "Her full name is Kaia Nicole Johnson, she's 25 years of age, and is originally from Miami, Florida. Apparently she has no parents, at least anymore. They died in her senior year of high school and she apparently has been withdrawn ever since. She somehow managed to obtain a B.S. degree in Computer Science and now lives off of her trust fund and the proceeds from the sale of her parents' house. She also works independently as a computer programmer for various corporations." All the while Wesley talked, Angel walked around the room reading off the contents and nodding every so often to let Wesley know he was paying attention.

"Hmm...it says here that she's adopted", Angel commented. "But it doesn't say what agency finalized the adoption. And did her parents know about these abilities of hers...were they...strange as you put it...too?"

Wesley sighed in frustration. He had been wondering this himself. Her entire file just seemed to list basic information, nothing with real sustenance. There was nothing listed about her abilities or if her parents had special abilities themselves, which was strange to say the least. Wolfram & Hart was nothing but thorough. Every demon that you could think of had an extensive file in their file room. It was peculiar that there seemed to be important parts missing from this girl's file. Either Wolfram and Hart did not deem this girl as a threat to them or someone had taken extra measures to delete some facts from her file. Wesley strongly believed it was the latter.

"I was wondering the same things myself Angel," Wesley retorted finally. "There are so many questions still left unanswered, such as why there is barely any mention of her parents and other relatives, no mention of her abilities, or why she even came to L.A. at all. There must be a reason that she ended up here."

Angel closed the file and dropped it on his desk. He could definitely see Wesley's point. Something wasn't adding up here. Why _did_ she come to L.A.? Specifically, why did she come here...to Wolfram & Hart...to help them? And why is it that he and Wesley seemed to be the only ones fixated on her. That thought made Angel growl in frustration.

Wesley knew exactly how Angel felt. There were so many questions left unanswered. But there _was_ a way to find the answers they needed. "Angel, did you read the part that lists her address," Wesley asked slowly. Angel was quiet for several minutes. It wasn't that he hadn't seen the address, because he had. He just wasn't sure if it was a good idea to go there. Spike and Gunn could be right. They _could_ be looking for trouble by investigating this girl. Just the mere fact that her file seemed so ordinary was disturbing. There are no files on ordinary people in that room. If she displayed such awesome power, Wolfram & Hart had to know about it. So why take extra steps to make sure that _specific_ information was absent from her file?

Angel sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, silently making his decision. He just hoped that what they were about to do was the right thing. "So she lives alone you said," Angel questioned softly, meeting Wesley's eyes.

"Yes...she does," Wesley replied, feeling slightly uneasy. "She lives in an apartment building on 5th and Trinidad, but it's a controlled entrance. Someone would have to buzz us in unless you go through the roof." Wesley paused, crossing his arms over his chest, feeling the strange sense of uneasiness get stronger. "Angel...I'm assuming this means we're going over to her flat," he asked, his tone indicating that he was uncomfortable with the idea.

"Yeah...we are," Angel responded firmly. "Gunn do some more digging around in the files and question the employees to see if they know anything. Most of them have worked here a lot longer than we have and may have heard something about this girl."

"I'm on it," Gunn answered.

"Wesley, I need you to go over to her apartment...alone," Angel continued. "Too many of us there may make her get spooked. See if you can find a way to question her neighbors. Maybe someone knows something."

"Angel you do remember I mentioned that the building has a controlled entrance. Do I just sit outside until I see someone leave?" Wesley knew his tone was sarcastic, but he couldn't help being a little on edge about what they were about to do.

Angel regarded Wesley with a long look, clenching his jaw slightly. "Look, I don't care what you have to do. If that's the only way you can get me some answers, then do it. I want the both of you to meet me back here at 7:00 to let me know what you found out." With that Angel plopped down on his chair, turning it around to face the window, dismissing them both.

Gun sighed and strode out of the room, mumbling under his breath. Something told him that maybe this was a bad idea, but Angel was the boss. He would do whatever he could to help him.

**Please review.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Gunn was not the only one doubting Angel's decision to continue investigating their mysterious visitor. Wesley was having similar reservations himself, but for other reasons. He was not afraid of this girl hurting him physically, but more of what he felt in her presence. He had stayed away from female company for fear of getting into any entanglements. After Fred...he just couldn't do it anymore. Now fate decided to throw a curveball at him, except this curveball had long dark hair, big brown eyes, and the most luscious lips he had ever laid eyes on.

"Wesley is there something else you wanted," Angel asked making Wesley jump slightly. Wesley swallowed hard and replied, "No". He turned around and proceeded to make his way to the door when Angel called his name. "Yes Angel," he answered spinning back around to face the vampire.

Angel didn't respond for a moment causing Wesley to feel a bit uncomfortable. "You feel it too don't you," Angel said quietly. "I've been here trying to figure out what is it about her that makes me so determined to find her, but I can't figure out what it is." Angel spun back around in his chair, his dark eyes meeting Wesley's blue ones directly.

Wesley stared down at the floor while placing his hands in his pockets. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to that. He decided to just put it on the line and be honest. "In all honesty, this girl...sets me a little on edge," Wesley replied uneasily, lifting his eyes to look at Angel again. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but the way she was looking at me...it's almost as if she...I don't know...her eyes were so intense. I don't think I've ever been stared at so blatantly by a woman before." Wesley felt a tinge of irritation at the faint blush he felt creeping up his neck.

"Yeah, actually I did notice that," Angel responded, raising a brow curiously. "When we first looked at each other she sort of looked at me like that too." Wesley's head sprang up in surprise and Angel noticed he looked slightly disappointed. "No, no, no," Angel continued in a rushed tone. "She wasn't looking at me like _that_. She just looked at me as if she knew me, but I _know_ I don't know her. You now...well I'm pretty sure she was checking you out." Angel smirked as he noticed Wesley blushed even harder.

"But Wesley, I need you to be careful," said Angel, his tone more serious. "We don't really know who she is or what she is for that matter. When we find her, and I do mean when not if, just remember we don't know what we're dealing with here. You didn't see the way she fought today. It's almost like she was...well...a female me," Angel finished quietly. "So just don't wear your heart on your sleeve alright."

Wesley rolled his eyes. Angel was overreacting. Yes he was a little attracted to her, but he wasn't stupid. "Angel, give me a little credit here," Wesley said snidely. "I am not; I repeat not interested in becoming involved with this girl. Furthermore, I am well aware of the danger here. I can take care of myself." Wesley saw a flash of hurt on Angel's face for just a second and then it was gone. Wesley cursed under his breath, instantly regretting speaking so harshly.

"Look, I'm sorry," Wesley stated. "I guess I'm just a little apprehensive myself. I don't mean to take it out on you."

"It's alright," Angel assured him. "I understand completely. Anyway, you have some investigating to finish."

Wesley gave Angel a long look. "Ok...I'll see you at 7:00," Wesley said finally. Then he was out the door, closing it behind him.

****

Kaia awoke slowly, her eyes fluttering before finally opening. Her eyes floated over to the clock on the nightstand. Her eyes widened when she saw it was 6:30 pm. She had actually slept through the entire day. She was surprised that she had slept so soundly and without any dreams, especially since she had just seen them today. It figured that the one time she actually didn't dream about them was when she had met them in person...or at least two people who looked exactly like them. Kaia sighed as she sat up in bed. Who was she kidding? Her instincts told her that those men she met today were the same men from her dreams. They had even smelled just like she remembered.

Her stomach growled and she let out a frustrated groan. Whether she liked it or not, she would have to go out and get something to eat. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, wincing at the dull ache in her side that still remained from the fight earlier. She tried her best not to think about Angel and Wesley as she moved through her room looking for clothes to put on. She dressed hurriedly, pulling on jeans and a tank top, before going into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and dragged a brush through her hair hurriedly, deciding that she would wear it down today.

Kaia grimaced at that thought. She knew only reason she was even considering leaving it down was because of _him_. She threw her brush down on her dresser, disgusted with herself for letting a guy affect her so much. Logic was telling that she couldn't afford to see Wesley again, not if she wanted him to stay alive, but yet she couldn't stop herself from hoping that she would._ You see this is why you stay away from men. They make you act totally out of character._ Kaia pulled on her black boots and her leather jacket, stopping to grab some money off her dresser. She took one last look in the mirror quickly and then headed out the door.

She found herself at this little club/restaurant several blocks from her building. She knew the owner there and he was nice about hooking her up with food without asking too many questions. Kaia had saved his life once and he had been nice to her ever since. He didn't see her too often because she hardly left her apartment, but when he did he always greeted her like a long lost friend.

The club was in a slightly bad part of town, which made sense seeing as how it was actually a demon hangout. No humans ever came in there and if they did...well let's say they didn't always walk out. Lorne, the owner always did his best to keep peace, but sometimes things got out of hand. She was glad that Lorne made sure that no one bothered her when she went there. Her outward appearance as a human would have gotten her into unnecessary trouble otherwise.

Kaia smiled at the bouncer at the front entrance and he returned her smile, stepping aside to let her in. As she weaved her way through the crowd, her eyes floated around the club looking for Lorne. She saw him to the side of the stage talking to one of his bouncers and she walked over to him. Kaia tapped him on his shoulder and he swung around with an irritated expression on his face that changed to a beaming smile.

"Hey honey," Lorne said enthusiastically. "Haven't seen you in a while. Where you been?"

Kaia shrugged. "Around," she responded simply. "Lorne I hate to interrupt, but I need some of that special pasta you make. Oh and make it to go please?" Lorne whispered something to the bouncer and he walked away. Lorne then turned to her looking disappointed, taking her arm gently and dragging her backstage away from prying ears. She knew instantly it was time for the begging and whining.

"But sweetheart, you just got here," Lorne said pouting, predictable as ever. "Stick around. We have some live entertainment coming up. You're so young and beautiful and you never get out. Kaia just stay a little while...for me." Kaia rolled her eyes as Lorne began to ramble on and on about how much he missed her and that he would die right on the spot if she left. Now that made her giggle. He could be so dramatic sometimes.

"Was that a giggle," Lorne said in mock surprise. "Honey, I've rarely heard that come out of your mouth. Are you alright," he said as he felt her forehead. Kaia swatted his hand away and rolled her eyes again. "You're such a drama queen," she said, shaking her head. "And yes I'll stay, but only for a little while. Only a half hour...that's it."

Lorne smiled, glad that he had gotten his way, and led her back to a table in the corner away from most of the crowd. "Now you just wait right here," he told her. "I'll go in back and tell the cook to whip up that pasta in a jiffy…okay. I'll make sure he makes that garlic bread you like too."

Kaia smiled gratefully. "Thanks a lot Lorne," she said, her enthusiasm slightly forced. "I'm starved." Lorne watched her closely for a moment.

"Before you ask if I'm ok, then let me beat you to it," Kaia said, reading his expression like a book. "I'm fine. Fantastic. Wonderful. Now could you go get me some food? I'm starving here." Lorne looked at her for a moment longer, tenderly brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Kaia gave him a little push and he nodded, walking away towards the kitchen. Kaia used that time to become aware of her surroundings. Even though she was comfortable in Lorne's club, she knew that she couldn't afford to get careless. Sometimes, she got scared that her being there would get Lorne hurt, but the fear of loneliness always won in the end. It may sound selfish, but she got so tired of always being by herself and Lorne had such a bubbly personality that made you long to be in his presence. She couldn't help but want to be around him every now and again.

Suddenly, she felt prickles on the back of her neck. She had the feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes looked around the club quickly, automatically turning yellow as she went into feral mode. Every one of her nerves stood on edge. She continued scanning the club until her eyes stopped on a figure that seemed familiar to her. As she focused her eyes, she realized it was that British jerk that was fighting those demons with Angel earlier and he was looking directly at her. Her blood instantaneously sky rocketed. This idiot was following her and not even doing a good job of being subtle about it.

Kaia averted her eyes from him and stood up quickly. She swiftly started making her way backstage towards the back entrance of the club. She figured 10 to 1 he would follow her. She jogged down the hallway and kicked open the back door. She continued running until she found a little side alley. She stood silently, patiently waiting for him to appear. He didn't disappoint her. She heard the back door open and close loudly. He sniffed the air briefly before starting to walk towards the alley she was hiding in. Her eyes widened. He knew she was there waiting for him. He could smell her.

"I know you're hiding back there so you might as well come out," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Kaia closed her eyes for a moment and slowly stepped out into his line of sight. They both stood shock still waiting for the other person to make the first move. She was impatient...angry...and she wanted to know why he was here...why he was following her. She walked closer to him until she was just a couple feet away, barely managing to contain her anger. He was just standing there smirking at her.

"Can you tell me why you're stalking me," she asked, her voice low and clipped. He had the nerve to chuckle then. Kaia silently counted to ten before she spoke again. "Look, let's the cut the crap alright," she bit out. "I know you're only here at this club because I'm here. Why are you following me?"

He raised an eyebrow mockingly. "What makes you think I'm following _you_," he replied flippantly. "I may have just come out here to get a smoke. Speaking of which, you got a light love?" The jerk actually pulled out a pack of cigarettes as if that was the real reason he was out here.

Kaia closed the distance between them until she was standing a mere inch from his face. "I know you're not out here to smoke. I know you're following me and I want to know why...now!" He didn't even flinch. "So I guess that's a no then," she remarked sarcastically. Kaia smiled slowly and looked down at her feet. She then sucker punched him hard in the face. He flew backwards crashing against the wall from the impact of her punch. She walked over to him, picked him up off the ground, and slammed him up against the wall for extra measure.

"Now, like I was saying what do you want with me," she asked. "And you better answer quickly, because I'm about two seconds away from kicking your British ass." Before she knew what was happening, his face changed suddenly alerting her to the fact that he was a vampire. He punched her in the mouth and kicked her hard in the stomach, causing her to fly backwards. Okay…she wasn't prepared for that.

Kaia stood up slowly clutching her stomach, annoyed that she had been hit in the exact same spot that was already sore. So this British idiot was a vampire. When he had been fighting earlier, she hadn't noticed that his face was vamped out. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't. He had looked completely normal. She had just thought he was a great fighter. He started walking towards her, his face still contorted. She quietly stood her ground, waiting to see what he would do next. Then his face changed back to normal as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief. He offered it to her and she stared at it in confusion.

"For your lip," he clarified. "It's split pretty badly." Now she was really confused. First he attacks her and now he offers a handkerchief to wipe away the blood he caused to flow in the first place. Call her crazy, but that was just a little messed up. She shook her head no as she backed away from him slowly. The door to the club opened suddenly causing him to turn around towards the sound. It was only one of the assistant cooks coming out to dump some trash. By the time Spike turned back around, she was gone.

**Note: Alright, you guys. You know what to do. Review please.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Wesley checked his watch for the 10th time and cursed softly. He had been sitting in his car for hours and he was nowhere closer to finding out any more information about this girl. Either she didn't have many neighbors or they were the 9 to 5 working type, because no one had entered or exited the building since he had arrived. He still didn't know how he was even supposed to convince one of these people to just let him in their building. After all, he could be some kind of homicidal maniac. Why would someone, especially here in this neighbor, want to answer any questions from a stranger? Oh yeah…that's right. He could just tell them he was looking for a girl was mysterious and beautiful…and oh one more thing…she can teleport, is telekinetic, and she can heal herself. Wesley smiled grimly at those thoughts and ran a hand carelessly through his hair. He was tired of just sitting her doing nothing. If someone didn't appear in the next 10 minutes…well then he was leaving.

He knew why he was feeling so anxious. He was actually more afraid of meeting _her_ again than talking to one of her neighbors. There was something about her that just made him feel totally out of sorts. Almost, like he was free falling and he couldn't seem to stop…like he was a schoolboy with a crush. Not like that was entirely a bad feeling, but he didn't want to be that type of person anymore...letting emotions rule his thinking. After what had happened with Fred, he had been content to keep certain emotions away. Just thinking about this _girl_ made his body feel uncomfortable, especially in his nether regions. He couldn't tell the last time he had been affected by a woman so much…well not since he was a teenager driven by hormones out of control.

Wesley adjusted himself in his pants, trying to find a more comfortable position for his private parts. He took a couple deep breaths to get himself under control. Ok that wasn't working. Maybe thinking about a couple ugly demons would help. Closing his eyes, he pictured the Velgarians they had fought just last week. Velgarians had no skin covering their bodies and usually had maggots seeping from various parts…ears, nose, etc. Yes that would work. Wesley breathed a sigh of relief as the tightness in his pants eased, at not a moment to soon because someone was leaving the building. Wesley sat quietly watching as a short, middle-aged woman walked down the stairs. He took the key out of the ignition and got out of his car. He cautiously approached the woman, who was now standing on the sidewalk digging around in her purse. She glanced upwards meeting his gaze as she saw him approaching her.

"Excuse me miss," Wesley greeted her. "Could I ask you a couple questions? It's about one of your neighbors."

She looked him over suspiciously, but didn't say a word for what seemed like several seconds. "Why are you interested in anyone who lives in here," she replied. "Are you a cop or something cause you look like one."

Wesley smiled slowly. "No, I'm not a police officer. I'm actually here trying to find a certain young lady who I _think_ lives in your building. She's African-American and she's about 5'7", with long dark hair and brown eyes…really pretty. She may also come off as sort of…well…a loner."

The woman rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. "It's not a crime to be a loner is it," she remarked sharply. "I mean maybe she just likes to be alone. There's nothing wrong with that."

Wesley couldn't argue with that statement. True it wasn't a crime to keep to one's self, but he couldn't very well explain why he thought Kaia was a loner. He couldn't tell this lady what Kaia could do. Wesley sighed. "I know it's not a crime," he told her. "Look, I really would appreciate anything you could tell me. Her name is Kaia Johnson. Does that name ring a bell? Do you know her personally by any chance? Have you noticed anything strange or peculiar about her?"

"Whoa there cowboy…one question at a time," she said forcefully. "Yeah I know who she is. Is she in any trouble? Cause if she is then I don't want to get involved. All I care about is if she pays her rent on time."

Wesley raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "So you're the landlord here then," he asked.

"Yeah I am," she replied, placing a hand on her hip defiantly. "Look, if I'm gonna tell you anything and right now I'm not so sure if I even want to…well what I wanna know is what are you gonna do for me."

Wesley rolled his eyes slightly. She wanted money. He shouldn't be surprised. No one gave information freely in this town. Wesley dug his hand in his back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He flipped through until he found a fifty and slapped it down in her open palm. "Now what do you have for me," he prodded.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's much but…well it might be nothing," she said slowly.

"Anything you know could be extremely helpful," Wesley said abruptly. She nodded and looked around quickly. She came closer to Wesley, hand signaling him to lean down closer towards her. He complied and she looked around nervously once more. "It's like you said," she replied finally. "She's a real looker, but yet she keeps to herself and she wears all these boyish clothes…and that hair. She could definitely use a hair dresser…know what I'm saying. Plus, she barely leaves the apartment, except well at night. She hardly ever leaves during the day. She doesn't seem to work, so I've always wondered where she gets the money to pay the rent. But I'll tell you one thing; she's never been late…not once in the last six months. Oh and she doesn't have any friends or family I think. Doesn't date either. I just think it's a waste that someone so young and pretty is so alone you know."

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," Wesley said softly. "Is that all…nothing else?" Her face became pensive and then it suddenly lit up as if she remembered something. "Wait…this may be of interest to you," she said excitedly. "You're not the only one who's interested in her."

"Wait, what do you mean," Wesley asked, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "Has someone else been asking questions about her?" The woman paused as if she regretted saying too much. Wesley grabbed the woman by her forearms and gently shook her. "Please, you have to tell me," he ordered. "Has anyone else been here asking questions about Kaia?" He felt the desperation creeping into his tone, but he didn't like the thought of someone else looking for Kaia…not if they knew what she could do. The woman dragged her arms away with an almost scared expression. "I'm sorry," he said, hoping his tone was apologetic. "It's just that this is important. I'm not trying to hurt Kaia, but whoever else was here might want to."

The woman stared down at her feet fiddling with the hem of her shirt nervously. She sighed loudly, feeling her conscience getting the best of her. "There were some guys here asking questions about her," she whispered. "They looked all official with suits and stuff. It was like they were all CIA looking…you know totally _Men in Black_."

Wesley looked at her in confusion. "Men in Black," he questioned. What the hell was a _Men in Black_ and what did that have do with Kaia? "Mamn, I believe that you have confused me. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You've never seen _Men in Black_," she asked with obvious surprise in her voice. "You know…with Will Smith." At his still confused expression she rolled her eyes. "Never mind," she muttered. "All I know is these guys creeped me out. They gave off this strange vibe. I can't really explain it, but I couldn't wait for them to leave. They came her a couple weeks ago asking questions. I didn't tell them much…just that she was a loner. I try not to carry on conversations with people that make my skin crawl."

She sighed loudly before speaking again. "If she is in any trouble, well I hope you can help her before those guys get to her first." With one last look, she hitched her purse on her shoulder before walking away hurriedly. Wesley watched her turn the corner with conflicting emotions. He was glad that he had finally gotten something substantial on Kaia, but he was worried about what he had discovered.

Wesley suddenly stiffened as he felt a shiver go down his spine. He was being watched. He could feel it. He turned around slowly, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a black car slightly down the street that was not there before. The car's window lowered slowly revealing a man with dark sunglasses. Wesley's eyes widened as the man withdrew a gun and pointed it directly at him. Wesley instantly crouched and somersaulted over to his car, cowering with his hands on his head as bullets ricocheted off the other side of his car. He cringed, cursing aloud as he heard glass breaking. Finally, the bullets stopped firing and Wesley heard the squeal of tires. He remained crouched for a couple more minutes just to be sure.

Wesley stood up slowly, surveying his surroundings looking for further danger. Noticing that they were gone, he allowed himself to breath easier…but just for a second. He walked around to the driver's side slowly, muttering a curse as he took in the appearance of his new bullet ridden car. Wesley opened the door and looked at the glass that now sat in the chair. He rolled his eyes and looked up to the heavens, silently asking for strength. He took off his jacket and used it to sweep most of the glass out of his seat, before getting inside. He then dug his keys out of his pocket and started the car. Wesley's jaw clenched as he pulled out onto the street. He was angry with himself for being so careless. He should have noticed that car, but he was too caught up…and it could have cost him his life. Not to mention he never went on a mission without a weapon…well until today.

How could he let this girl get him so wound up that he endangered his own life? Yes he was accustomed to danger, but that was besides the point. He had survived countless apocalypses, fought countless demons and won, but this was different. This time, if he had been shot it would have been his own fault…just like if he had pointed the gun at himself. Wesley grinded his teeth. He would have to make a conscious effort to detach himself as much as he could from this mission. What happened today could not happen again. He couldn't ever allow a woman to make him weak again. He had been a weakling once before…a long time ago. Now he was tougher...stronger…a new man, minus the glasses, with a new hard exterior. No woman was going to change that.

**Note: I'll probably bring Fred into the next chapter. Feedback keeps me going! **


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia opened her eyes, releasing a sigh of relief upon seeing the familiarity of her apartment. She had gotten out of that alley just in time, not sure of what would have happened if she had stayed a minute longer. _Spike…he…he was a…a vampire. And apparently a very complicated one._ First, he attacked her and then offered her help. Well, in his defense she did attack him first. She had just been so mad at him for following her…spying on her…not to mention he didn't seem to know the danger he could have put himself him. It was bad enough risking Lorne's life by going to his club.

She groaned loudly, grimacing as she felt a shot of pain slice through her side as she tried to slide her jacket off carefully. Kaia lifted up her shirt and ran her hands across her stomach, wincing as she found a fresh tender area from the wonderful kick she had received from Spike. _Just great._ _Two injuries in one day.__ Yeah this day was going so well._ _Could it get any worse?_ To add insult to injury, her stomach gurgled, reminding her that she was starving and still hadn't gotten any food.

Then, a soft noise was heard from the kitchen, almost like the sound of breathing. Kaia's instincts went on full alert…her eyes…her ears…her nose. Someone was in here…more like three people…and one of them smelled like the sewer. She couldn't deal with this…not now. All she wanted was a hot shower and something to eat. She was way too tired to fight again, but she knew she didn't have a choice, not if she wanted to survive. She cracked her neck from side to side, feeling a shot of adrenaline. If they wanted a fight, then they would get one

She saw a figure move out of the kitchen. The person, from the size and shape of the body, appeared to be a man and seemed to be holding something. The hand slowly raised and Kaia's eyes widened when she realized he was holding a gun. Kaia felt the bullet graze her arm and she stumbled, gasping audibly in pain. She ignored the stinging sensation, squaring her shoulders for battle. "Why don't you turn on the light so I can see your face coward," she snarled. "And how about telling your other two buddies to come out too. Let's just make a party out of it. Come on don't be shy."

The man chuckled. He whistled alerting his companions to come out of their hiding places. Kaia's eyes narrowed as two shapes came into her line of vision. One emerged from her bathroom, also apparently holding a gun. The other figure followed. Kaia took a step back when she saw the size and girth of the large figure that had just appeared. Ok so that was definitely not human. She used her powers to flip the light switch, flooding the room with light. She frowned almost wishing she hadn't as her eyes focused on the large demon across the room. _Why did they always have to have horns? Was it some sort of protocol? And that smell…that's where it must be coming from…from that...thing_.

"Miss Johnson…we finally get to meet you," said the first gentlemen, his smile anything but pleasant. "Oh…and sorry about the bullet. We were instructed to bring you back alive, but I figured we could at least bring you back in pain." He released a sound of suprise as the gun flew out of his hand, floating in the air for a moment while the chamber was emptied, before it flew across the room landing at Kaia's feet. His accomplice's eyes widened as he glanced at the gun in his own hands. "Don't worry Junior", she said playfully as she took the gun from his hands as well, smiling as the gun floated into her own hands. "I didn't forget about you. By the way, when did you guys start employing demons? I mean I don't have a problem with it, but you could have least picked a cuter one. And that smell…couldn't you have washed its ass just a little? Damn guys…it smells like crap in here!"

The demon growled, pulling out a large machete from a holster on its side. "Ok so you wanna fight dirty huh," she remarked, cocking her head to the side. "Hmm…I can do that. But let's make it quick ok, cause I'm so---." The demon charged across the room waving its machete and growling. Kaia shot the two men quickly in the head and teleported out of the way of the thing coming towards her. The demon crashed into the front door, unable to stop because of its momentum. Kaia chuckled. "Well, not only did your buddies pick an ugly, smelly demon, but they also forgot to check your intelligence," she said, allowing more laughter to escape her.

The demon turned around and Kaia's laughter ceased as she saw the murderous look in its eyes. It was actually foaming at the mouth. Kaia began putting more distance between the demon and herself as it began to slowly walk towards her, its machete raised in attack. "Ok…so you can't take a joke," she said, laughing nervously. "Can't we talk about this? I mean I'll apologize for calling you ugly, smelly, and…well stupid if you apologize for charging me like that." The demon continued to walk towards her, snarling and baring its yellow teeth, as more drool drained out of the side of its mouth.

"Ok…no deal huh," she asked. "So I'm guessing this would be a bad time to ask when was the last time you went to the dentist?" Suddenly, the demon charged, swiping its machete at her head. Kaia ducked quickly, punching the demon hard in the stomach. It grunted in pain moving a couple steps backwards. Before it could charge again, she followed her punch with two kicks to the face, finishing off with a spin kick to the chest. The demon roared as it flew backwards even more, clearly angered at the beating it was receiving. "Oh…what's the matter…you thought I would be easy to take down," she said in mock pity. "Yeah I get that a lot. It's the boobs I think. I have an idea. How about we finish this a little quicker? That way you'll be dead and I'll feel…well let's say I'll breathe a little easier when you're out of commission."

Kaia saw the demons' eyes turn red, causing her to feel uneasy. She just managed to move out of the way as a red beam shot from the demon's eyes towards where she was previously standing. Kaia glanced at the wall, swallowing hard when she noticed the gaping hole. She turned back to the demon, surprised to see a semblance of a smile on its face. _All right, didn't expect that. Think Kaia…think. Your powers are weakened, but you have to beat this thing._ Its eyes began to glow again before the beams shot out again. She let out a small squeal, leaping out of the way once more. _Okay…obviously it can't shoot the beams automatically…there seems to be a couple seconds delay._ That's fine. A couple seconds was all she would need.

Kaia removed the machete from the demon's hand, floating it into her own. The demon looked down at its hand in confusion. Kaia teleported, not giving the demon time to react, appearing again directly in front of it. With one quick swipe, she took the head off, feeling a note of satisfaction as it landed on the ground. She jumped out of the way quickly, not wanting the demon's dead body to land on her. She closed her eyes, and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the danger was over…at least for the moment.

Kaia gasped loudly, as she felt a sharp force hit her in the chest. She turned incredulous eyes toward the source, finding the demon's eyes still glowing even though the head was now separated from the body. Her hands automatically found the wound feeling a hole in her chest, cringing as she watched the blood pour from her body. The pain was blinding. Her chest felt like it was on fire. She could feel the darkness closing in, even as she struggled to remain conscious. An image of Angel popped into her mind as she used the last bit of her energy to reach out to him and focus. If she could just concentrate, maybe she could get to him. She knew he would help her. He just had to. She tried methodically over and over to teleport. _Please...please powers don't fail me now._

Angel sat in his office with his lights dimmed, sipping a cup of coffee. He made a face and rolled his eyes. Harmony obviously hadn't learned to make coffee yet. That could be the only explanation for the horrible burned taste now in his mouth. He leaned his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes. He hadn't heard a word from any of the guys and he was starting to worry because 7:00 had come and gone a half hour ago. He opened his eyes and reached over to pick up the phone on his desk. Just as his hand touched the receiver, the phone rang. Angel grabbed the phone quickly, instantly knowing it was one of the guys. All other calls went through Harmony's desk first. Only the guys knew his private line. A weird feeling flowed through his body as he brought the phone to his ear. "Hello," he said cautiously.

"Angel, it's me."

Wesley. What was wrong with him? He sounded…agitated. "Yeah Wes what's going on," he demanded. "You're late," he continued.

"I know. Angel we may have a problem."

That didn't sound good. He didn't like the tone of Wesley's voice. "What kind of problem? Is Kaia all right? What happened?"

"I discovered some disturbing news Angel. We're not the only one's investigating her."

"Wait…her…you mean Kaia?"

"No Angel, the tooth fairy. Of course, I'm talking about Kaia!" Wesley was met with several seconds of silence. "I'm sorry Angel. It's just…I'm angry with myself…not you."

"Wes, what happened over there," Angel inquired, his voice soft.

Wesley sighed. "I managed to get some information from her neighbor…well actually it was her landlord. Most of what she told me, we already knew, but there was one thing we didn't know. Some men came to the apartment building a couple weeks ago asking the landlord questions about Kaia. She said they looked official, but she insisted that she gave them no real information, but Angel this worries me. You saw more than I what Kaia could do. If someone else is aware of her abilities, well…she could be in grave danger." At Angel's silence, Wesley frowned. "Angel, are you there," he asked.

"Yeah…I'm here," Angel replied quietly.

"Angel, there're more," Wesley continued. "I think the same men who were asking questions a couple weeks ago came back again today. I was too into the conversation to realize that they were watching us from down the street in a black car."

"A black car huh," Angel said sarcastically. "Why is it always a black car?"

"Hmm…yes…that's exactly what I was thinking as I just managed to dodge several bullets," Wesley replied dryly. He cursed under his breath as he ran a red light, narrowly missing side swiping a car in the process. Wesley ignored the honks directed at him in anger.

"What did you say," Angel demanded. "You dodged bullets? They shot at you!"

"Yes…they only managed to hit the car though. It's going to cost me a bloody fortune to fix the damage, not to mention the expression on the mechanic's face at the number of bullet holes is going to be priceless."

Angel was quiet as he digested the new information he was given. They had to find Kaia and find her fast. Whoever it was after her meant business and that meant she was in danger. They had vowed to help the helpless and she obviously needed their help, even if she didn't want it. "Wesley, where are you now," Angel asked anxiously.

Wesley quickly surveyed his surroundings. "I'm about 10 minutes away from you," he replied

"Don't come here," Angel protested. "Go over to the house. I'll meet you there. I'll try to contact Gunn or Fred."

"All right," Wesley said, slightly confused at Angel's change of plans. They usually didn't go home until 10:00 at the earliest. "What about Spike?"

"Call him on his cell," said Angel. "I'm on my way out the door now." Angel hung up the phone, not even waiting for Wesley's response. He stood up quickly, walking over to the coat rack and grabbed his coat. Just as he finished shrugging on his jacket, he heard a noise. Angel turned towards the sound. To his surprise, he saw Kaia laying the ground. He ran over to her, his face showing obvious distress upon seeing the large blood stain on her shirt.

Angel felt for a pulse, letting out a shaky breath when he realized she was still alive. He shouldn't be worried right…with her healing ability. Somehow that thought didn't give him any comfort. Angel frantically searched in his pockets until he found his cell phone. Dialing the familiar number of the lab, he anxiously waited for someone to answer. "Pick up the phone," he muttered. "Fred, where the hell are you?" Angel hung up the phone in frustration. Where the hell was everyone? He knew the lab technicians worked long hours, even longer than he did. They should have picked up.

Angel forced himself not to panic. Should he take her to the Medic Center? They should be equipped to handle this…right? He immediately squashed that idea. Angel didn't trust Wolfram & Hart…not with this…not after they made an obvious attempt at withholding information from Kaia's file. That meant they would have to take care of this themselves...that is if he could find everyone. He took a chance of glancing back down at the wound, hoping against hope that it would start to heal on its own. He realized he would have to rip her shirt to see the wound more clearly. Angel silently prayed that she was wearing a bra, before ripping her shirt open down the middle. He winced as the wound came clearly into view. There was a large hole in her chest where a steady stream of blood was flowing from it. Wait a minute? Did he just see that? Yes…he did. The hole had closed somewhat…just a little, but that still gave Angel hope. The blood was not flowing as freely, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. He had to wake her. Maybe she could accelerate her healing power.

Angel shook Kaia gently by the shoulders, calling her name over and over. She didn't respond. "Come on Kaia," he begged. "Please, just open your eyes. Let me see those brown eyes…come on." He saw her eyes twitch ever so slightly. "That's it Kaia. You can do it. You kicked some ass in here today so I _know_ you're tough. Prove it to me Kaia. Prove to me that you're tough. Open those eyes. _Please_."

Suddenly, her eyes fluttered and then sprung open. She moaned in pain, sending Angel a pitiful glance. "Angel," she said softly. "I didn't think it would work. I was…trying to get to you…after that…that thing…a demon…it attacked me."

Angel frowned. "What thing," he asked. "What attacked you? Where?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what it was…it was with those guys…they were in my apartment. They came to take me…take me back." And then she moaned again, two tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Take you back where Kaia," Angel asked worriedly. "Come on sweetheart I know it hurts, but stay with me ok? Who came for you? Who was the demon with?" Angel became more alarmed as he saw she was sweating profusely. He placed a hand on her forehead and was alarmed to find she had a fever. She was also trembling badly. Damn. She was in no condition to answer any questions. He glanced again at her wound, relieved to find it had closed even more. That was good. At least that looked promising. He felt a hand touch his arm and his eyes found hers. They were filled with anguish. "It's going to be alright," he said trying to reassure her. "Your wound seems to be healing."

She nodded in agreement. "I know," she whispered. "I can feel the tissue…the veins…the skin…everything melding back together. It just hurts like crazy. I'll be fine. I just…feel…so weak. Let me just lie here for a moment and then I'll go."

Angel blinked in shock. "Hold up…go where," he said. "You _can't_ go back to your apartment! They, whoever the hell they are, know where you live now! They might come back and you're in _no_ shape to fight them off!"

She regarded him for a moment and then her eyes narrowed. "Don't…tell…me…where I can and can't go," she said firmly. "And who said I was going back to my apartment. I'm not…ow…stupid. I'll just go to a hotel or something."

Angel's jaw hardened and his expression became determined. "No you're not," he protested. "You're coming home with me. And don't try to fight me on this. You obviously came back here for help…because you felt you could trust me. So just let me help you…ok. Besides, you don't have a say. You can't fight me off too." Angel smirked at her, quietly challenging her to refuse.

She closed her eyes, grimacing again in pain. "All right," she said with her eyes still closed. "I'll let you help me, but only for tonight. Then I'll leave in the morning. And you won't try to stop me." She looked at him then. "Do we have a deal," she asked him, her voice weaker.

Angel nodded. He then took of his jacket and lifted her carefully to put it on her. He picked her up in his arms and proceeded to walk to the door. Angel ignored the curious looks from Harmony as he exited his office and continued walking towards the elevator.

As he rode down in the elevator to the garage level, he wondered if Wesley had arrived at the house yet and if he had gotten in contact with Spike. He gazed at the beautiful girl in his arms, relieved that she seemed to have drifted off. It would be better for her to be unconscious while her wound healed if it caused her so much pain. Angel strode over to the area that kept the company cars and inspected his choices. He immediately decided on the SUV so that she could be comfortable lying in the large backseat. Carefully he placed her inside the vehicle. Angel opened the driver's side door and got in. As he started the car, he contemplated whether or not this was a good idea…bringing this girl to the house. No…this was the right thing to do. She had helped them. Now she needed him. He would be damned if he allowed those _people_ to get their hands on her.

**Note: Well, so did you guys like it? I know I promised to bring Fred into this chapter, but as you can see it ran kind of long. She'll appear in the next chapter probably. It will take place at Angel's house...well actually I wanted to make it so that they all lived there like when they were at the hotel. I thought it was better that way, more like they were a family. Anyway tell me what you guys think.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Angel frantically ran a hand through his already messy hair as he paced back and forth. Where the hell was everyone? Where was Wesley? And where were Fred and Gunn for that matter? He could live without seeing Spike again so soon, but he had to admit he was a little concerned about his whereabouts. Angel looked at his watch finding that it was nearly 8:30 p.m. He stole a glance at the girl that lay sleeping on the couch. Angel had placed her there to rest instead of taking her upstairs to one of the many rooms in the mansion. He wanted to keep an eye on her and still be close to the front door to see when everyone else arrived…whenever the hell that would be.

Angel walked over to the couch, crouching till he was eye level with her form so that he could watch her closely. She seemed so much younger now...more peaceful...innocent almost while she was asleep. What could have happened to create such chaos in her life? Why were people looking for her...people who thought nothing of pulling out guns in broad daylight? There must be something they want from her if they tried to gun down Wesley in cold blood, but the question was what. Angel allowed himself to think for a moment that maybe she was once involved in something dangerous...that maybe she may have been evil at one time. He quickly pushed that thought aside. Even if she had been evil at one time, the fact remained that she had thought nothing of jumping in to help people who were virtually strangers to her. That counted for something in his book.

Angel's head turned towards the sound of a car pulling in and then parking. A key turned in the lock and then Wesley was coming through the door calling his name. Angel rose quickly and walked towards him. Wesley spied Angel coming towards him and immediately snapped his mouth close at the signal from Angel to 'be quiet'. Angel then gave Wesley a motion to follow him, causing Wesley's eyebrow to rise in confusion, until he saw a figure that looked a lot like a female lying on couch. Wesley slowly walked forward, forgetting for a moment about Angel's presence, as he came closer to the girl lying on the couch. His eyes widened as he stooped down, finally getting a close up view of just who was lying there. It was _her_. The same girl they had been trying to find. How in the world had she ended up here at their house? Wesley returned his eyes to Angel, unable to hide the surprise on his face. Angel motioned him over with his hand and they both walked back out to the foyer by the front door.

"Angel...what...how...is that who I think it is," Wesley questioned anxiously. Angel nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what is she doing here or a better question is _how_ did she get here?"

"_I_ brought her here," Angel said simply.

Wesley looked at Angel, his expression one of disbelief. "_You _brought her here. Ok...please explain to me what happened...and don't leave one bloody detail out."

Angel put his hands in his pockets, walking a couple steps away from Wesley before turning back around to face him. "She showed up tonight...again...in my office, except this time she was badly hurt," Angel began. He grimaced as he remembered how her chest was a bloody mess. "She was attacked by this thing...a demon of some kind. She said something about _the_y...that _they_ came to bring her back, so I'm guessing there were other people there with the demon waiting for her when she arrived."

Wesley's expression turned from disbelief to concern. "Is she alright," he asked.

"Yeah…she's ok I think," Angel answered, with a slight smile. "She's a tough one. I'll give her that. She would have died had it not been for that healing ability of hers. Although, I'm not sure she's completely out of the woods yet. She was trembling badly earlier and she was running a fever."

Wesley nodded as if he understood what Angel was talking about. "That's probably her body's way of dealing with the trauma that was inflicted upon it. She's sleeping rather soundly now it seems."

"Yeah...she's been out ever since I first placed her in the car," Angel replied. "She slept all the way here, not once waking up. Umm...did you get in touch with Spike?" Wesley nodded. "Ok, good. I haven't been able to get a hold of Gunn or Fred for a while. I'm starting to worry."

Wesley rolled his eyes. "They're probably off together somewhere," he said, unable to keep the bitterness from creeping into his voice. Angel only looked at him, his expression unreadable, before nodding in agreement. "Don't worry Angel," Wesley said, his tone now more normal. "They're probably on the way over here right now. As for Spike, he said he would meet us here and he said you're probably not going to like what he has to tell you."

Angel dragged a hand down his face tiredly. "Did he tell you?" Wesley shook his no. Angel sighed. Just like Spike to be deliberately cryptic. God that man was so annoying. Just then Angel heard the doorknob turn again, relief cursing through him at the sight of Gunn and Fred coming inside the door talking animatedly. Angel snapped his fingers getting their attention and motioned for them to keep down the noise. They nodded and came over to him, standing next to Wesley.

"What's up," Gunn whispered, his face scrunched up in confusion. "Why do we have to be so quiet?" Angel didn't answer him but instead motioned for them to follow him into the living room where Kaia lay still fast asleep. Gunn's eyes widened. "Is that who I think it is," he asked, clearly flabbergasted as he got sight of the body on the couch. At Angel's nod, Gunn let out a shaky breath, running a hand over his shaved head.

"Uh...Fred could you like check her over," Angel asked worriedly. "She had a nasty wound on her chest earlier." Fred and Gunn gave him a look that prompted him to re-tell the story of how Kaia had appeared in his office injured. "Anyway Fred I'm not sure if she's completely healed. Just take a look at her chest...because...umm...well I think she would feel more comfortable with you looking at...you know...that part of her than any one of us."

Fred smiled at Angel's embarrassment. "Sure Angel no problem," she replied. Fred pulled the blanket that was covering Kaia down to her waist and unzipped her jacket. 'Actually it looked a lot like Angel's jacket,' Fred thought to herself.

"I put my jacket on her because she was trembling...running a fever too," Angel offered, almost as if he knew that was what Fred was thinking.

"Okay," Fred said distractedly, her only concern now the girl lying motionless except for the steady up and down motion of her chest. Fred frowned at the huge rip down the middle of Kaia's tank top and turned a questioning glance to Angel. "I had to...umm...rip her top...so that I could see the wound clearly." Fred thought that Angel could have just rolled the shirt up to Kaia's armpits to see the wound, but she didn't voice her opinion knowing that Angel probably just reacted in the heat of the moment. Instead, she only nodded absently and parted the already ripped material further apart to peer closely at Kaia's chest.

"You said she had a wound here," Fred said, running her fingers over the area, noting that there was only a large purple bruise. "I don't see anything except this bruise and the spot is a little tender but---."

"Trust me...there was a gaping hole in her chest," Angel interrupted. "But then it started closing up right before my eyes. She was wincing...groaning in pain. She said she could feel it melding back together, but that it hurt."

Fred checked Kaia's pulse before leaning back on her haunches; quietly studying the girl for a moment. Amazing. Her body could actually heal itself if it found it was in trauma. Fred's scientific nature was eager to run a whole series of tests on this girl, but she kept those thoughts to herself. "Well, she seems to be out of the woods, but she's still a little warm though," Fred said while placing her hand on Kaia's forehead. She then gave Angel a warm smile. "She'll be fine Angel, she just needs to rest. By the way, why is she lying down here instead of in one of the rooms upstairs?"

Angel looked away, slightly embarrassed. "I...well...I just wanted to keep an eye on her while I waited for you guys to come home. Where were you by the way? I called you and Gunn several times."

"Sorry man," said Gunn, his tone apologetic. "I should have called and told you we would be late. I had some backed up legal work that I was working on, plus going through all those files in the file room and interviewing our staff about that girl. After that I just wanted to chill for a bit. Then Fred asked me to meet her for dinner and we completely lost track of time."

"Ok, I understand that, but what I don't understand is why you didn't answer your phones," said Angel, his tone sounding annoyed.

Gunn appeared taken aback. "Angel, man I said we're sorry. I had my phone turned off since that 8:00 meeting I had this morning. Then we were battling those demons and I got caught up in work. I just forgot to turn it back on." Gunn reached inside his pocket and pulled out his phone. Sure enough there were a couple missed calls from Angel's cell phone listed.

"And my battery died a while ago and I didn't get a chance to get a new one," Fred chimed in. Fred knew Angel had every right to be upset. They should have called. Being with Gunn had felt so good, alone from all the pressure. It just felt right to be able to spend time like that with him again. She and Gunn had just recently gotten back together and were making a point of enjoying every spare moment they had to be together. "We're sorry Angel...really sorry. Don't be mad...please." Fred gave Angel the sad face that he never seemed to be able to resist.

Angel sighed finally, forcing his anger aside. He needed to calm down. They were here now and they were okay and that's what was important. "All right," he said, feeling his anger subside. "Sorry for overreacting. It's just...it's been a hell of day."

Gunn nodded in agreement. He gave Angel a playful slap on the arm. "It's cool man. It was our bad anyway. So what are we gonna do with little Ms. Bad Ass over there? And what are we gonna do about these guys looking for her? Do we even know _what_ we're dealing with? Eventually they're gonna track her down. They're gonna come back for her."

"I don't know, I'm not sure, and no," Angel said, his gaze now steady on Kaia. "And I agree with you. They'll definitely come back for her. That's why she can't go back to her apartment. If they're going to find her, they'll find her here with us." Angel turned his attention back to Gunn. "So did you find out anything more," he inquired.

"Nah," Gunn responded. "There's nothing else down there in those files except what Wesley showed us and the employees don't seem to know anything. Notice I said _seem_." That perked Angel's interest.

"Do you think they're trying to hide something," Angel asked. "Did anyone seem nervous or jumpy while you were questioning them?"

"No, but I think it's strange that no one, not even one person knows what I'm talking about. Everyone just seemed to feign disinterest. Something just seemed...a little...I don't know...off." Gunn then glanced at Wesley, wondering what was wrong with him. He was so quiet these days...withdrawn even. Gunn had a feeling what it was, but he hoped he was wrong. Wesley had started acting this way ever since he and Fred had broken up. It had only gotten worse when Gunn and Fred had started dating again. Gunn loved Wesley like a brother, but he was in love with Fred. He couldn't help his feelings. He knew just how hurt Wesley was, because that's just how Gunn had felt whenever he had seen Fred and Wesley together. It had felt like his insides were being ripped apart.

Gunn walked the couple steps over to where Wesley was standing. Wesley's eyes were riveted on Kaia, completely ignoring everyone else in the room, an unreadable expression on his face. He did that a lot too. Always keeping an expression on his face that belied his true feelings. Wesley had become a master at masking his emotions, but Gunn was one of his best friends. He knew Wesley, probably better than he knew himself. Something was up with him, besides the normal angst. "Hey Wes...you all right man," Gun asked, his tone cautious.

Wesley didn't answer for a moment. What should he say? He hadn't been _all right_ for a long time now. But to appease his friends, he would continue to pretend like everything was fine. Wesley nodded, his eyes meeting Gunn's finally. "Yes...I'm fine," he said, trying to keep is tone neutral. "I, like Angel, had a long day."

At that comment, Angel looked Wesley over quickly checking for any noticeable injuries. When he found none, he was relieved to say the least. He and Wesley had overcome a lot of drama to be back to the friends they were. In fact, Angel could say their friendship was even stronger than ever. Wesley had betrayed him once, betrayed them all actually, but he had meant well. He hadn't meant to intentionally hurt anyone. He had thought he was doing the right thing. They were past that now and Angel loved him like family. Finding out that someone had tried to shoot Wesley just mere hours before scared him more than he cared to admit, but that was their life. Facing down danger was a normal occurrence. They went up against evil every chance they got. It was a risk they took to keep the world safe...at least a little part of it safe.

"I went over to Kaia's place today," Wesley stated, shrugging his hands in his pocket as his eyes traveled from Gunn to Fred. "I waited there for hours until I saw one of her neighbors exit the building. I was able to question her and found out that she was actually the landlord. She didn't give me much more information than we already had, but---." Wesley faltered, frowning at the thought that probably the same man who tried to shoot him today could have been one of the people that had attacked Kaia tonight. If he had stuck around, maybe he could have helped her. Wesley shook his head slightly, ridding himself of that thought. It was no use thinking of ifs and maybes. What's done was done. "She did tell me something of value though," he continued. "She said that there were other people who had come there asking questions about Kaia...that they looked official. Apparently, they made her nervous or _creeped her out_ is what she said exactly. I can see now she had every reason to be, because I think they were probably the same people who shot at me today."

"What," Fred exclaimed. "Are you okay? You didn't get shot did you?" She immediately walked over to him and began to look him over closely. Wesley met her eyes, his gaze cold, making her step back.

"I'm quite alright," Wesley responded, his voice hard and sarcastic. "Unfortunately, for them they missed, but they gave my car a lot of nice bullet holes." He averted his eyes momentarily to block out the look of hurt that he saw on Fred's face. He didn't mean to hurt her, but he couldn't seem to help acting like this towards her lately. Gunn was one of his best friends. Fred was too…sort of. He should be happy for them, but being rejected by Fred again...well it hurt. It hurt a lot. Wesley returned his eyes to Fred and forced a tight smile. "I'm sorry Winifred," he said, hoping that he indeed did sound sorry. "Like I said before, it's been a long day." Fred nodded and gave him a smile in understanding.

Then a moan was heard from the couch. Everyone turned towards the sound to see Kaia shivering slightly, but Wesley was the one who made the move to cover her back up with the blanket. He made a conscious effort to avert his eyes from the delicate red lace bra that barely peeped out at him from the tear down the middle of her top. Funny that she wore such feminine things under her clothes, while she seemed to make a conscious effort to appear tough on the surface. As he tucked the blanket around her, he couldn't seem to stop himself from brushing a strand of hair off her face. She seemed so innocent and sweet. Why would anyone try to hurt her? His hands unconsciously continued to stroke her hair until her eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of soft doe-like brown eyes. Their eyes locked and Wesley tried to ignore the fact that his heart immediately began beating faster. Time stood still as they silently regarded each other.

**Feedback is very much appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

"What...what's going on," Kaia asked, her voice sounding not afraid...only confused. "It's cold...what am I doing here? Where am I?" She removed her eyes from Wesley and glanced at the others that were standing in the room. Finding Angel there, she sighed audibly. That's right. She had been attacked at her apartment and had come to Angel for help. She continued looking around the room, anything to avoid looking into Wesley's blue eyes again.

Angel stepped forward, his hands in his pockets and he gave her a warm smile. "You ok," he asked her.

"If by ok you mean having my body hurt and bruised, then yeah I'm just peachy," Kaia smirked. "Three battles in one day. That's a record, even for me." At Angel's confused expression, she frowned. Then her face lit up in understanding. "Oh that's right. I have a bone to pick with you. The next time you want to have me followed, you had better do it yourself, because your British friend does a shitty job of being subtle." She regarded Angel with a glare. Yes she was thankful for him helping her, but he had no right to check up on her...to have that idiot spying on her.

Angel and Wesley looked at each other, the both of them thinking the same thing. Did she see Wesley outside her apartment building? How else could she have known he was there today? Kaia saw the silent exchange between the two men. "No not him," Kaia explained. "The other one...the blond asshole with the warm personality. I went to this club I usually go to and when I looked up, there he was staring at me. We got into it too...outside in the back alley of the restaurant."

Wesley closed his eyes in frustration. Sometimes he wondered why the hell they kept that bugger around. "What do you mean got into it," Wesley asked carefully.

"I was pissed that he was following me and being a smart ass about it to boot, so I hit him. And then…well…he hit me back. He had a surprise for me though." She paused as she continued to look at Angel curiously. "Did you know he's vampire," she continued. Angel looked down at the floor. How should he respond to that? After all, he was a vampire too. What would she think of him? His eyes returned to hers and were surprised to see her giving him a look of understanding.

"It's ok Angel," she said softly. "He didn't hurt me...not really. He just responded to me attacking him. No biggie. Actually, he was gracious enough to offer me a handkerchief to wipe the blood off my lip." Angel rolled his eyes and pulled out his cell phone. He walked over to the other side of the room as he dialed Spike's number. When Spike picked up, Angel gave him an earful. To say Angel was pissed, would have been an understatement. Kaia winced at the anger in Angel's tone and finally allowed her eyes to meet Wesley's again. His eyes were soft...caring. She could have sworn he was touching her hair when she woke up. "Are you sure you're alright," Wesley asked worriedly. "What exactly did Spike do to you?"

"He punched me and…uh…kicked me," she said slowly, uncertain of the reaction she would receive based on Angel's reaction. Wesley's eyes darkened and he swore softly. "Okay...there's a lot of testosterone in here," Kaia said jokingly, trying to lighten up the mood. "Look in his defense I did hit him first, plus I slammed him against a wall. He just reacted to what I did. I'm okay…really." Wesley seemed satisfied with that answer, his eyes softening again.

"Do you have any idea who would want you hurt," Gunn blurted out. Kaia looked at Gunn, but said nothing, her expression now blank. Gunn bit back a retort. This girl could have been Wesley's twin with that damn unreadable expression on her face. "Look, we're trying to help you," Gunn said shortly. "How can we help you if you're not being straight with us?" Fred placed a hand on Gunn's arm, trying to convey to him to ease up, but he continued on. "We're putting our asses on the line here for you," he said, feeling the anger creeping into his tone. "Those people...those _friends_ of yours...tried to kill one of my best friends. The least you could do is tell us what the hell is going on." Wesley fixed Gunn with a glare, but Gunn ignored him, his gaze remaining on Kaia.

Kaia's eyes became large and she threw the blanket off her as she brought herself to an upright position. "What are you talking about," she asked, her voice trembling. She glanced at Wesley and saw him glaring at Gunn. "Wesley, what is Gunn talking about," she questioned. "Did someone try to hurt you?" Wesley met her eyes and then looked away. "Wesley tell me...please," she pleaded. "What happened?"

Fred realized that she would have to step in quickly. Kaia needed to rest and didn't need this extra stress. "Um...Kaia...how about I get you some tea," Fred offered softly. "Maybe you would like to take a hot bath too. You'll feel so much better and we could get you something to eat. Are you hungry?" Kaia stared at the wiry girl standing before her, rambling incessantly. Kaia knew she was only trying her best to change the subject. "That's sounds great," Kaia said unenthusiastically. "But first I want you guys to tell me the truth." At Kaia's determined expression, Fred looked at Wesley, her look clearly stating that he should provide an explanation.

Wesley cleared his throat, nervous for some reason. "Kaia, Spike was not the only person spying on you. I went to your apartment today. I spoke with your landlord about you." Wesley studied her trying to gage her reaction. She just sat there staring at him. She then looked down at her lap. When she looked at him again, her eyes were wet and also angry. "Do you have any idea what you did," she said her voice trembling and cold. She pushed the blanket off her and stood up quickly, staggering slightly at the sudden movement. Wesley reached out quickly and held her by her forearms to steady her. She shrugged his hands away, refusing to look at him. He stepped back, hurt, but he pushed it away. "Do you have any idea who and what you're messing with," she continued.

"That's what we're trying to find out from you," Gunn exclaimed. Wesley glared at Gunn again and Gunn held his hands up in surrender.

Wesley turned back to Kaia. "What happened actually...at my apartment," she asked, the coldness now absent from her voice. "How did you even get in? It's a controlled entrance."

"I didn't," Wesley replied. "I spoke to your landlord outside the building...right in front. I was so engrossed in the conversation I didn't notice we were being watched. After your landlord walked away, I noticed a black car down the street on the other side of the road. A man tried to shoot me, but it's alright because obviously he missed."

Wesley's attempt at humor didn't appease her. He could have been badly hurt. He could have died. Once again she would have been responsible for the death of someone else who had nothing to do with this mess she was in. "I'm sorry," she said quietly while running a hand tiredly through her hair.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Wesley replied firmly.

Kaia gave Wesley an incredulous look. "It's my fault you were nearly killed today. If you had...if anything had happened---." She swallowed hard unable to continue. She took a deep cleansing breath. "Look, I don't think it's a good idea for me to stay here tonight. I have to leave...now."

She pushed past Wesley roughly, but was unable to take another step as a hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. "I thought we had a deal," Angel said quietly.

"We did...hence the word had," Kaia retorted sarcastically. "We don't have a deal anymore. Your friend nearly died today and it would have been my fault. Those guys...they would have thought nothing of putting a bullet in him. This is way beyond slaying demons and shit. This is just regular old cold blooded humans."

Angel placed his hands on her shoulders. "We've faced a lot of terrible things. We can handle it. As a matter of fact, _they_ should be afraid of us. We've went up against countless apocalypses and we're still here. No regular men are going to scare us. I'm more concerned about your safety right now."

"Why," she asked, shaking her head wildly. "Why do you care about someone you don't even know?" Angel thought for a moment about how he would respond without sounding cheesy, but Gunn beat him to the punch.

"He cares because that's who he is," said Gunn. "That's who _we_ are. And apparently how _you_ are. Weren't you the one that appeared out of nowhere to help a bunch of strangers?" Gunn gave her a half smile. She didn't return his smile, her face set and determined. Gunn glanced at Wesley, releasing a small sigh of frustration.

Wesley walked over to Kaia, Angel moving over to the side to make way for him. Wesley took her hands and squeezed them gently. "Take a good look at me. I'm not hurt. I know my accent may make me seem...well weak shall you say, but I'm tougher than I look."

Kaia did as he asked, looking at his body carefully. "You don't look so weak to me," she mumbled and then blushed realizing she had said it out loud. She pulled her hands away from his and began to play with her fingers nervously. Gunn raised a brow. 'Interesting,' he thought. Wesley and Kaia seemed to have some sort of vibe going on. Gunn looked over at his girlfriend to see if she noticed what he did. He immediately frowned upon seeing that Fred didn't seem too pleased. Her body was so tense. Why should it bother her if Wes had the hots for somebody else...unless she wasn't completely over him. The thought made Gunn's stomach churn. He reached over and touched her cheek. She glanced at him then, and forced a smile. He knew it was forced, but he wouldn't press the issue now. Later...in private...most definitely.

Kaia forced her eyes to meet Wesley's, but frowned when she found he was not looking at her eyes at all. In fact, his gaze seemed to be focused a little lower. She followed his gaze and her eyes widened as she realized he was looking at her chest, where her top had a huge rip down the middle. She pulled the two parts of her shirt together and held them closed with her hands. She took a step back when she saw Wesley's eyes were now meeting hers, but they were darker. He cleared his throat and shrugged out of his jacket. He handed Kaia his jacket making sure to keep his eyes above her neck. "Fred, I think now would be a perfect time for that tea you mentioned earlier," he said, his voice a little unsteady. "Actually, maybe a bath should come first."

"I never said I was staying," Kaia protested, as she put on the jacket, her tone clearly saying the opposite.

"No...you didn't," Wesley replied evenly. "But I'm hoping that you will stay. Let us take care of you for tonight. Then we can talk more in the morning."

She didn't know about that talking in the morning stuff, but she was exhausted and they were only trying to help her. If they had ulterior motives, she would have felt it in a heartbeat. She sighed loudly. "Okay, just for tonight," Kaia said. "But in the morning I have to go. I don't want you to get hurt." The last part was very soft, but Wesley heard her. He nodded and then turned to Fred.

Fred walked over to Kaia and grabbed her hand, a warm smile on her face. "Come on. I'll run you a hot bath and I have these awesome lavender beads that I can put in the water. It's so soothing. I have some aromatherapy candles too."

Kaia couldn't help but scowl. "Lavender beads...aromatherapy candles," she said. "That's so girly."

Gunn chuckled. "You are a girl smart ass," he said.

Kaia gave him a mock glare. "I know I'm a girl. It's just...it's been a long time since I've done anything like that. When you're on the run, all you care about is having regular soap." The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Fred touched Kaia's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I know what would make you feel even better," she said. "How about you wash your hair after your bath and then I'll blow dry it for you?"

Kaia looked at this girl who was giving her one of the sunniest smiles she had seen in a long time and finally relented. "Fine," she said while rolling her eyes. "A hot bath sounds good and I'll take you up on that offer of blow drying my hair." Fred smiled and reached out a hand to touch it. "It's so long and pretty...well except for the tangles," Fred said. "When was the last time you've been to a hair stylist? Oh sorry! That came out entirely wrong!"

"It's ok," Kaia replied, a small smile forming on her lips. "Actually, it's been a while, but maybe you can make it look like something." Fred's smile became even wider. "Oh sure," she said, way too happily. "Just leave it to me. Plus, I think I have something that will fit you, while I put the clothes you're wearing to wash."

Kaia glanced down at her clothing, noticing the blood stains. Her shirt was ruined, so there was no way she could wear that again. She looked up meeting Fred's eyes again and said 'thanks'. "Now come on," Fred said taking her hand and leading her to the stairs. "We'll leave the boys alone for a while."

Kaia nodded but released Fred's hand to walk back over to Angel. "Thanks...for letting me stay," she said. "I really appreciate this."

"It's no problem," Angel said, smiling at her.

Kaia then turned to Wesley and stared at him for a moment making him fidget. "I'm sorry you almost got hurt," she said softly. "Promise me you won't go back to my apartment building; at least not alone and make sure you're armed." Wesley nodded and brought a hand up to sweep a lock of her hair behind her ear. She swatted his hand away playfully. "Hey don't touch my hair," she protested with a cheeky smile. "At least wait until I'm all _girly._" Kaia then winked at him and walked away, following Fred up the stairs.

Wesley chuckled in spite of his vow to remain unaffected by this girl. It wasn't his fault she was too cute for words. He spared a glance at Angel and then Gunn, annoyed to find that they were giving him this knowing look. "What," he said impatiently. "Why in God's name are the both of you looking at me like that?" Angel cocked an eyebrow. Wesley rolled his eyes. "I am just concerned about her. Just like you Angel."

Angel smirked. "Just like me huh. Wesley I'm quite sure the way you're thinking about her is _not_ just like me."

Gunn slapped Wesley on his back. "It's okay man. She's hot. It's completely understandable for you to be attracted to her."

Wesley moved away from Gunn's hand. "I am _not_ attracted to her," he said forcefully. "I'm merely concerned for her welfare. We help the hopeless remember."

"Hmm...is that what you were thinking when you were staring at her chest, which is a very ample chest by the way," Gunn said, smiling broadly. Wesley cursed under his breath as he felt the heat creeping up his neck. He glared at Gunn and Angel before walking away, mumbling something about 'putting on the kettle to boil for some tea'. As soon as Wesley left the room, Gunn turned to Angel and said "He's got it so bad for her."

"Oh yeah...definitely," Angel replied, watching Wesley's retreating form. "He's got it really bad. Actually, I think Kaia is attracted to him too. What I really want to know is are you happy for Wes because you think it's good that he may have found someone or are you just relieved at the thought that he may one day not be hung up on Fred anymore?"

Gunn looked at Angel in shock, his mouth gaping slightly. Was he that transparent? Gunn felt ashamed at his thoughts, but he couldn't help it. He was constantly worried that he would lose Fred to Wesley again. It haunted him. He loved that girl...more than life itself. Who could blame him for wanting to make sure she stayed his? But Wes was his friend. His first thoughts should have been for Wesley, not himself, especially since Wesley had seemed so sad and withdrawn lately. "You're right Angel," he said finally. "I'm being selfish, but can you blame me?"

"Yeah...yeah I can," said Angel before walking in the direction Wesley went, leaving Gunn feeling torn between his friendship with Wesley and the love of his life.

**Note: So the story is coming along. I think my writing is getting a bit better since the first couple chapters. Feedback is appreciated.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia lay awake in the unfamiliar bed frustrated that even though she was dead tired she still couldn't sleep. She had long finished the tea and sandwich that had been brought to her two hours ago. The bath that Fred had run for her had felt like heaven. She had protested the lavender smelling candles at first, but had agreed because she was too exhausted to argue. It was a good thing though, because that aromatherapy crap really did work. She had instantly felt so calm and at peace that had she nearly fallen asleep in the tub.

After her bath, she had quickly washed her again for the second time that day, thanking the lord that Fred had given her an expensive conditioner that would be able get the tangles out of her hair. Fred did blow dry her hair for her as promised, rambling all the while about various things. Kaia barely paid attention to her, as she talked, simply nodding every now and then to show she was listening. Then Kaia had remembered she had a meeting with a new client, her first contract with a huge corporation, and had come to the conclusion that maybe having Fred girly her up might not be such a bad idea. This contract would be her biggest deal, one that could have her set for another 4 months at least. She couldn't afford to mess it up. She had to appear as professional as possible. She had scowled as she remembered the new suit she had bought for the meeting was hanging in the closet at her apartment.

She had explained her predicament to Fred, pointing out the fact that her clothes were at her apartment and she desperately needed something at least semi-professional to wear to her meeting. Fred had hastened to reassure her that she could take her measurements right then and have some clothes and shoes in the appropriate sizes sent to the house for her to choose from. Apparently, Wolfram & Hart was a bigwig law firm with expense accounts at various boutiques, salons, spas, department stores, you name it. They could have just about anything delivered at any time. Fred had scurried from the room and had come back just as quickly holding some sort of hand held device that took measurements by simply scanning your body frame. Kaia had seen some pretty awesome things, but even she had to admit _that_ was pretty cool. After that, Fred had said goodnight promising to get up early to help her get ready. Kaia had protested half heartedly, but secretly she appreciated Fred's efforts. It had been so long since she had any girlfriends...well any type of friends really.

Now she was snuggled under the soft purple comforter, eyes straying around the room taking in the decor. The way the room was decorated was made to make the person feel at home and comfortable, but Kaia was far from that. The fact still remained that she had endured one hell of a day. She couldn't remember going through so much excitement in one day before. She couldn't believe that she was now in the house of the two people she had vowed to avoid. She was stupid to think fate would let her have her way. It was obvious to her now that this was no coincidence. There had to be a reason why fate kept throwing her together with these people. If she wanted to be honest with herself, then she knew that fate hadn't really stepped in here at all. She was the one that made the decision to go back there...back to Angel.

She knew that she didn't have a choice, but it still weirded her out how safe she felt with Angel...actually with the rest of his friends too. They made her feel at ease without really trying. Fred was an absolute sweetheart. She seemed a little geeky, but then again who was she to talk. She built computer programs for a living for Christ's sake. Gunn, he seemed to have a direct, brash way of dealing with things. If he wanted to know something, he didn't seem to pull any punches. She could respect him for that...for his guts.

Angel and Wesley, however, were the ones who deeply affected her psyche. Kaia was desperately afraid that maybe her dreams were true. In fact the more she thought about it, she _knew_ they were true. She felt it deep down in her soul. She couldn't describe it in words. It was like beyond woman's intuition. Being a telepath taught her that her gut instincts were usually on target. Now what in the world was she going to do about it? What was she supposed to tell them? She _could _start out with 'hey Angel I've been having these dreams about you and in one of them I called you dad. Oh and Wesley, apparently we may be soul mates or something.' Yeah that would go over real well. She definitely couldn't tell Wesley about the dreams. It was out of the question. It was bad enough that he was nearly killed today by those people that were after her. She didn't know what she would have done if someone else had died because of her.

Kaia pounded the bed with her fists, aggravated with her thoughts. There was no way she would get any sleep if she couldn't stop her thoughts from racing like this, but she couldn't help it. She had so many questions. If Angel _was_ her father, then why does he seem to not know her? How could he have fathered a child and not know? Originally, she had only thought of herself as some sort of failed military experiment, but now she didn't know what to think. Obviously everything wasn't at all how she thought it was. And who was her mother? Did she not tell Angel about her existence, instead opting to give her own flesh and blood away to the government to be used as a science project? Anger began to bubble below the surface, but she willed it away. Right now she needed to relax. She had to get up early in the morning and she needed to look well and rested for her meeting.

Minutes later a soft knock sounded at the door, and Kaia called for the person to come in. She knew instantly it was Angel; as she just now felt his presence outside her door. He poked his head in the door, his hand on the doorknob as if he was unsure of coming into the room. Kaia sat up with her back against the headboard and waved him in the room. He gave her a half smile as he came inside crossing the room to stand at the foot of her bed. At his uncomfortable stance, she patted the side of the bed for him to sit. He sat down awkwardly his eyes staring straight forward. What did he want? He clearly wanted to talk to her about something, but he was just sitting there not saying anything. She couldn't even hear him breathing, which disturbed her because she should have heard it with her super sensitive hearing. There was that strange odor again. Maybe slaying demons so much allowed an inhuman stench to cling to his body.

Angel cleared his throat nervously, finally stealing a glance at her. He smiled warmly and Kaia smiled back. "I don't know why I'm so nervous here," he said softly. "Actually I do sort of know why. You kind of put me on edge...in a way that I can't really describe. It's like right now I have a feeling like I should know you, but I know I don't." He paused, noticing that his words sounded confusing even to him. "Do _you_ know why I feel this way," he questioned uncomfortably.

Kaia shrugged feigning innocence. "I don't know Angel. You tell me. I can't explain what you're thinking in your head. I mean I could, but I don't think I should." At Angel's confused expression, she continued, "I'm telepathic". Angel's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"_Really_," he replied. "So you can read my thoughts? Have you did it yet...read my thoughts I mean." Kaia shook her head, but Angel's instincts told him she wasn't being completely honest.

"Kaia you do know that you can trust me right," he asked her, his dark eyes meeting hers. "You can trust all of us."

She averted her eyes, suddenly finding the plaid pattern of the comforter interesting. She finally lifted her head and nodded. "I'm not really sure why I trust you, but I do," she told him. "I sort of understand how you feel…about the way you feel like you know me. I feel the same way. I'm not exactly sure what's going on. It's a little unnerving to be honest."

"O-kay," Angel said slowly. "So we seem to be on the same page here. There's something else we need to talk about though. I know you're exhausted, but I don't think this can wait. Earlier you said they wanted to take you back. What did you mean by that? Who are they?"

Kaia eyes widened before she forced her face to become blank. She couldn't deal with these kinds of questions right now. Angel saw the flash of fear cross her face just before he saw her visibly shut down. He knew that look well, because that was an expression that he used often. She was such an enigma. This was a person who thinks nothing of saving others, but won't accept help herself.

"Look, Kaia the only way I can help you is if you're straight with me," he said firmly but gently. "You've already said you can trust me. Why can't you just tell me what's really going on?"

Kaia bit her lip, but remained silent refusing to meet his eyes. Angel jumped up from the bed and began to pace back and forth, his jaw clenched in frustration. Kaia's eyes narrowed as she noticed Angel's reflection was absent every time he passed the mirror. Well, well, well. This was an interesting twist. She had wondered why he smelled different. Spike and Lorne had that same smell...it was just not human. His skin was also so pale and the little mirror trick was a dead give away. She didn't know why she hadn't come to this conclusion before. Why didn't he tell her he was a vampire? Why was he so nice and caring? Vampires as a rule were not usually _nice_. And since when do vampires work in law firms? Apparently, she wasn't the only one not being completely straightforward here.

Angel sighed loudly. "Okay…you're tired and you need to rest. Maybe I shouldn't have come up here badgering you with questions. I'm sorry. Why don't I let you get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning." Kaia nodded but kept her eyes looking down. Angel shook his head as he walked to the door, disappointed that he didn't seem to be getting anywhere with her. When his hand touched the doorknob, she called out his name. "Yes," he answered.

"Angel I appreciate everything you've done for me," Kaia said honestly. "Welcoming me into your home like this was really cool of you, but in the morning we won't be having that talk. I'm going to leave and you promised not to stop me. Remember? That was our deal."

Angel nodded. "I remember…good night," he whispered. After Angel left the room, closing the door behind him, Kaia let out a deep breath. Why did her life have to be so hard? Couldn't anything ever be easy? She didn't want to leave, but she had too. If she wanted to keep them safe, she had to go. She didn't have a choice. Or did she?

* * *

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," said Fred, a little too happily. Kaia allowed her eyes to remain closed a moment longer, almost afraid to see her reflection in the mirror.

Fred rolled her eyes. "Oh would you just open your eyes you big chicken. You can kill demons without blinking an eye, but you're afraid of a little pampering. Kaia you look beautiful, which you would know if you just open your eyes."

Kaia finally opened her eyes, letting out a loud gasp as she stared at herself in the mirror. The last time she had looked this made up was early in her senior year of high school. She tentatively touched her face in reverence at the sight of her face made up with foundation, face powder, blush, eye shadow, and even lip gloss. She hadn't worn lip gloss in forever but…it looked good. _She_ looked good with her dark hair falling in luxurious curls and the simple, but elegant makeup. Fred, the darling she was, had arranged for a stylist to come at 5:00 in the morning to style her hair as well as several designer suits and shoes had been delivered to the house.

"So what do you think," Fred asked nervously. "You haven't said anything yet. You're just staring." Kaia stood up from the chair facing the vanity mirror and walked over to stand in front of the lengthwise mirror. She studied her reflection carefully, twisting to the side to view the black pinstriped suit she wore. She faced forward again smoothing her hands down the fitted jacket and running her hands along the lace of the matching pinstriped bustier she wore underneath before finally glancing down at the 3-inch stiletto pumps she wore on her feet. Kaia smiled finally and spun around to face Fred to find an astonished expression on her face.

"Fred, what's wrong," she asked. "I look okay right. I mean I know it's been a while since I've really dressed up, but I think that lady did a great job. Don't you?"

Fred nodded her head vigorously. "I agree," she said emphatically. "You look great! I don't know why you choose to wear those tomboy clothes, but yet you can walk gracefully across the room in 3-inch heels and not just any heels…stiletto heels at that. You've been frontin' with us!"

Kaia let out a giggle. "Frontin," she said, her eyebrows raised mockingly. "Okay Fred, I think you should stay away from BET. And as I told you earlier, I've dressed like this before, well with the make-up and stuff. It's just been a while. I used to dress up in mini-skirts, stomach-baring tops, high heels, makeup, the whole girly shit, but I'm different now."

Fred walked forward, her face taking on a serious expression. "Are you really…different I mean? Or are you just forcing yourself to be? I completely understand if that's what you're doing. I used to be extremely shy and I know what it feels like to want to just blend in and to not want to be noticed. I'm assuming you thought if you kept yourself scruffy looking that it would be easier to hide…to blend in, but you're wrong. Whoever they are found you anyway. You're looks can't be hidden that easily. You're beautiful, even without the makeup and _girly shit_."

Kaia blushed as she picked at her nails. Fred slapped her hand away. "Don't do that! You'll ruin your manicure." Kaia rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you made her give me a manicure anyway," she retorted sarcastically. "You don't really look that high maintenance yourself!"

At Fred's crest fallen expression, Kaia winced. Sometimes she could be so careless with her words. "Fred that's not what I meant," she said quickly. "You are _totally_ girly and beautiful. You know that. It's just you have a kind of innocent beauty. It's really natural and you don't have to wear stilettos to see it…like I do."

Fred blushed. "Thanks," she said. "I look okay, but you…you're made for this type of clothing. You remind me of a friend of mine. She was gorgeous…sexy…just like you, but she's…well…she's gone now." Fred bit her lip as she felt the tears creeping in. Cordelia had been gone a year and she would still tear up at the thought of her. Fred glanced at Kaia and forced away the sadness upon seeing the worried glance Kaia was sending her.

"Now come on," Fred continued. "You have an 8:30 meeting and you're going to be late if we don't leave right now. L.A. traffic can be a bitch to get through. Wait…do you need to stop at your apartment for something? Oh scratch that. You can't go back there. They might be waiting for you."

"It's okay," Kaia replied. "I gave the big presentation two weeks ago. We just needed to tie up a couple loose ends and I needed to sign some paper work. No big deal…and Fred…I'm going to have to go back to my apartment sometime to pick up my stuff. I told Angel last night that I was leaving in the morning and I meant it. After I leave here, that's it."

"But," Fred began.

"No Fred…just don't," Kaia said quickly. "I have to leave. If I don't, those men _will_ come here after me. It's only a matter of time before they find me. They already saw Wesley's face. When they find out I'm not at my apartment anymore, how long do you think it will take them to track me down here?"

"I know…I know," Fred replied anxiously. "It's just you shouldn't have to go through this alone."

Kaia smiled and pulled Fred into a quick hug. "Fred I've been alone for a long time. It's what I'm used too. I'll be fine. Now I have to go. Like you said, I'll be late."

"What do you mean _you_ have to go," Fred asked pulling back slightly. "You're not going alone! Let me just grab one of the guys to go with you…just to make sure you'll be safe."

"No, you can't," Kaia exclaimed. "They'll only try to bring me back here. I can't let them keep putting their lives in danger for me."

"Well Kaia I hate to break it to you, but that's what we do," Fred answered tartly. "We put our lives in danger for others all the time. Besides, if they don't go then I'm going with you. At least let me get Gunn." Kaia bit her lip going over her options. Gunn didn't trust her as much as the others so he was more inclined to let her leave and maybe having a little back up wouldn't be such a bad idea. She could make her meeting, stop by her apartment to pick up the duffel bag she always had packed, and jump on the next available plane out of this town. Gunn wouldn't try to stop her.

"Okay go get him, but you're staying here," Kaia finally responded. "Now hurry and be quiet about it." Fred nodded and bustled out of the room. Kaia hoped she wasn't making a mistake here.

**Note: Here's another chapter. Please review.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Warning: Okay guys this chapter is almost 4,000 words. So before you sit down to read, make sure you don't have anywhere to go for a bit. I hope you enjoy it though!**

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia leaned her head back against the seat as she watched the tall buildings and the array of people hustling down the street, on their way to work no doubt. She let a small sigh escape her lips as she let her attention travel to the driver. Suddenly she wasn't so sure if allowing Gunn to go with her had been such a good idea. She appreciated his efforts to be some sort of a bodyguard but he was worrying her. She was getting the distinct impression that he was going to do all he could to stop her from leaving. Throughout the entire drive to her meeting he had done nothing but sing Angel's praises. The meeting had gone extremely well, thankfully, and they were now heading to her apartment to pick up her stuff. She had thought he had run out of _nice things_ to say about Angel, but she was wrong.

Kaia rolled her eyes as Gunn continued to regale her with stories of how they 'helped the hopeless'. It was clear that he was trying to convince her to stay…to let them help her. Kaia bit down on her lip, aggravated with her current situation. This was all Fred's fault. She must have put him up to this. Why else would he be so interested in whether or not she stuck around? She saw the way he looked at Fred earlier this morning before they left…the way he kissed her goodbye. He was completely, hopelessly in love with her. It was obvious that he would do anything for her. It was just her luck that what Fred wanted right now was for Kaia to stay with them.

Finally, they pulled up in front of the apartment building and she felt Gunn nudge her slightly. "Hey, anybody in there," he asked as he waved a hand in front of her face. "We're here. Aren't you gonna get out?"

Kaia turned to watch him as he took the key out of the ignition. She placed a hand on his arm as he made a move to open his door. "Just where do you think you're going," she demanded. "You're not coming with me so I _suggest_ you just put the key back in the ignition. You need to leave…now!"

Gunn raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "I _suggest_ you remember that the only woman who can order me around is Fred and you're not her," he said sarcastically. "Now come on let's go get your stuff."

Kaia growled in frustration. What was wrong with these people? Did they have some sort of death wish or something? "You can't come with me," she said firmly. "Right now as we speak there are three dead bodies in my apartment. Two of them are human and one is not. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be seen around here, just in case someone called the cops. If I'm going to get in any trouble, I'm going do it alone."

Gunn shook his head. "No can do girl. For some reason, Angel believes you're worth saving...not that I don't. It's just that I'm not so sure that you're being straight with us, but that doesn't matter. I support Angel no matter what and that means going up there to your apartment with you. Angel would skin my hide if I let anything happen to you. He's already going to be pissed when he realizes that you left without saying anything and that I had something to do with it. So please let's just go get your stuff and then we can go back to the house. Just talk to him first and then you can decide if you want to leave. You owe him that much."

Damn. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She needed to at least talk to Angel one last time before she just disappeared from his life. And what about Wesley? Could she really just leave him? What if she was giving up her last chance to be happy? Maybe it was time that she thought about herself for once…thought about her own happiness. As soon as that thought entered her mind, she quickly discarded it, berating herself for even thinking that. "Okay let's go," she said. "But one thing…we'll teleport upstairs. Grab my hand."

Gunn pulled back in shock. "What the hell you mean _we'll_ teleport," he said. "I don't think so. Why can't we walk in the front door like normal people?"

"Because Gunn, I don't want anyone to see you going in there," she replied in an exasperated tone. "They might be watching the car right now as we speak." Kaia took a quick look around for a good measure, breathing a small sigh of relief at seeing no strange cars parked. "Look stop being a pansy ass and take my hand. Are you scared or something?"

Gunn glared at her defiantly. "I'm not scared of nothing. Just give me your damn hand and let's get in and out of there quickly!" Kaia couldn't stop the smile that formed on her face. He was such a liar. He was terrified. She could smell his fear. She decided though not to rib him about it, at least not right now. Kaia reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze before teleporting. In seconds they were in her apartment.

Kaia took a quick glance around the apartment. She went into feral mode as she tuned into her surroundings. She didn't hear anything except Gunn's hard breathing and she didn't smell anything out of the ordinary, which bothered her. Come to think of it, where were the bodies? There were two dead men and one dead demon lying on her rug last night. Actually, if her memory served her right, that demon wasn't quite dead when she left. She had decapitated it, but the head still appeared very much alive. Where the hell did it go? Kaia slowly began walking forward, still keeping her senses sharp for any false movements or sounds.

Gunn was still standing where she left him, feeling slightly nauseous. He knew this was a bad idea. He was never, ever teleporting again. He ran a hand down his face as he wondered why the hell he had agreed to come with her anyway. Fred, that's why. He stared at Kaia curiously as she seemed to be walking very slowly, almost as if she was staking out the place. "What the hell are you doing," he asked furiously. "We don't have time for this. Just get your stuff and let's go."

She turned around and fixed him with a glare as she placed a finger on her lips, signaling him to be silent. He gave her a strange look, but then nodded in understanding. Gunn closed his eyes and his fists clenched at his sides. He had forgotten all about the fact that she had been attacked in this very apartment just last night. He was definitely slipping. How could he have forgotten that? Now as he watched Kaia move from room to room throughout the apartment, he wondered who was supposed to be protecting whom. She obviously didn't need his help.

Kaia entered her bedroom with caution, sniffing the air as she crossed the doorway. Her room was completely ransacked, drawers opened and clothes strewn everywhere. She noticed her laptop was not on the desk where she had left it. It was no matter. She never kept anything vitally important on there anyway. Kaia went to her closet and removed one of the boards from the floor. She reached down inside the hole and retrieved the duffel bag she always kept there. She did a quick inventory of the bag, satisfied that everything was still in place. She would have to assume a new identity, but she was accustomed to that by now. Right now she just needed to get this talk with Angel over with so she could get to an airport and get the hell out of L.A.

She exited the bedroom and found Gunn to be standing right where she left him. He looked a little sick and she almost felt bad for not warning him about the side effects of teleporting. Almost. "I'm ready," she announced. "Let's go." At that, Gunn appeared to look even sicker. Kaia covered her mouth to hide her smile.

"You think this is funny," Gunn sneered. "I feel like I'm about to hurl all over this rug and you think it's a joke! Kaia teleported and reappeared standing directly in front of him. Gunn jumped and held a hand to his chest. "Don't do that," he ordered. "I'm already sick to my stomach. Do you wanna give me a heart attack too?"

She forced herself to look contrite. "I'm sorry Gunn," she said apologetically. "The first time you teleport, it always leaves you feeling a little out of sorts. After a couple of times, you get used to it." Gunn gave her an incredulous look. "A _couple_ of times," he said loudly. "I am not ever tele…what the hell?" Gunn glanced around in surprise, realizing that they were now sitting in the car again. He glared at her as he felt another wave of nausea hit him. She was just sitting there in the passenger seat smiling at him. It was all he could do to stop himself from just ringing her little neck.

"Oh come on Gunn," Kaia said as she punched him playfully in the arm. "Buck up. It will pass in a couple minutes. I promise." Kaia threw her bag in the backseat of the car and buckled her seatbelt. She felt his eyes boring holes into the side of her head, but she refused to look at him. "Weren't you the one hurrying me," she asked. "Come on let's go!" Gunn finally turned his attention forward and pulled the car key out of his jacket pocket. He jammed it in the ignition angrily and pulled out onto street. Angel better know what the hell he's doing, because he sure didn't.

As they pulled up to the gate of the house, Kaia immediately felt her body tense. She really didn't want to have this conversation with Angel, but she owed it to him to at least pretend to listen to what he had to say. Her eyes opened wide as she took in the size of the house or should she say mansion. They actually had a gate with a guard booth. Kaia saw the front porch looming in front of them and she took a quick glance at the guard. He hadn't seen her yet. He seemed to be engrossed in whatever was playing on the television. A ball game she realized. Some security they have here. She crouched down in the seat and nudged Gunn. She pointed to the guard and whispered to him that she was going to teleport to the porch. He nodded and she vanished, reappearing on the porch. She spied a large shrub to the side of the house and quickly teleported behind it, not wanting the guard to see her.

Gunn pressed the buzzer and the guard looked up. He gave Gunn a quick wave as he pressed a button to open up the iron gates. Gunn nodded in acknowledgment and drove forward up the driveway. His eyes searched the front yard searching for Kaia, questioning where the hell she was. Kaia saw the car coming up the driveway and she decided to just teleport inside the house instead. If she teleported back inside the car, she would still have to get out and walk inside the house. Angel probably trusted his security, but she sure as hell didn't. Kaia teleported and landed in the living room area of the house. She saw the familiar couch she had laid on just last night and she sighed. She brushed her long bangs out of her eyes and started walking forward towards the smell of coffee and food. She heard the door open and spun around swiftly, relieved to only see Gunn walking through the door. He shut the door behind him and approached her with a look on his face she couldn't place.

He stopped directly in front of her and continued to stare. "You're very strange you know that," he said finally. Kaia chuckled. "How's your tummy feeling," she asked him. "You feeling okay now? Is the nausea gone?"

He nodded. "Yeah I'm fine now. And hungry. Come on…let's go see if everyone's already in the dining room." She held out her hand to say 'lead the way'. Gunn shrugged out of his jacket and placed it on a coat rack as they passed through the living room. He then turned to her and looked her up and down. "I've been meaning to tell you that you look hot today girl," he said mischievously. "That stylist really knows her stuff. It's good to see you're not trying to hide that body anymore."

Kaia sent him a grin. "You better look your fill because this get up won't last long," she countered. "I'll be changing back into my clothes before I leave." Gunn stopped just to watch her walk. He was deeply in love with Fred, but even he could see that girl had a _damn _sexy walk. He shook his head to rid his head of those thoughts as he hurried to catch up with her. He reached out a hand and grabbed her arm causing her to halt in her tracks.

"Wait let me go in first…so that I can explain to Angel," he said. She shrugged as if didn't matter and he walked past her into the dining room area. Fred was sitting at the table with a lab top punching furiously at the keys while Angel stood in the kitchen leaning against the island reading the newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. Angel glanced up and saw Gunn, but his facial expression didn't change. Gunn sighed. Angel always regarded people with these empty looks where you couldn't gage what he was thinking.

"Hey Angel," Gunn called cheerfully. "What's up man?" Angel only nodded but continued to give him that cold stare. Gunn shook his head and leaned down to kiss the top of Fred's head. He then walked over to Angel, determined to just get this over with. "Look Angel I know you're upset, but Kaia had a big meeting with this important client and she needed someone to go with her. So I tagged along and then we went to her apartment so she could pick up her things."

Fred jumped up from her chair and hurried over to them. "Angel don't be mad with Charles. Kaia was prepared to go alone and I didn't want her to, so I asked Gunn to go with her. By the way, where is she Charles?" Kaia tired of waiting stepped into the room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. Angel looked over at her and his mouth gaped. She looked…well gorgeous. He knew she was beautiful before, but now she was breathtaking. Angel turned shocked eyes to Gunn and then Fred.

Fred broke into a wide grin. "Doesn't she look great," she asked. "I had some clothes and stuff delivered this morning. I had her makeup and hair professionally done too. I think she looks fabulous."

Angel finally smiled. "Yeah, I think she looks great too," he replied, his eyes not leaving Kaia. He then turned to Fred and then Gunn. "But I _would_ have appreciated it if you guys had let me know the deal. You can imagine how surprised I was to find her bedroom empty. I figured Fred knew what was going on because I smelled her essence in there, but she refused to tell me what was going on. All she said was 'Kaia's okay…she's with Charles'. She wouldn't tell me where you guys went."

"Angel don't be upset with them," said Kaia. "I didn't want you to know where I went. Be glad that I even came back here, because I wasn't going too." At the flash of hurt that passed through his eyes, Kaia cringed. "I'm sorry Angel…really," she said. "I just didn't think it was such a good idea to come back here. Every moment I'm here I put you guys in danger."

"So we're back to this again," Angel said quietly. "Why can't you just trust that we can take care of you and ourselves? You can't handle this alone." Kaia looked at Fred. Fred gave her an 'I told you so' look.

"Fred and I talked about this earlier and I discussed this with Gunn," said Kaia. "I know you want to help, but I've been on the run from these guys for 7 years. Seven years Angel. They do not give up and they don't care who gets in their way. Now they're hiring demons to handle their dirty work. People have already died trying to help me. I won't let it happen to you too."

"Do you mean your parents," Angel asked softly. Kaia looked at him with narrowed eyes. "How do you know about my parents?"

"We had a file on you in our file room," he replied. Kaia regarded him with a confused expression. "Why would a law firm have a file on me," she asked curiously.

"Probably because it's not just any law firm," Gunn chimed in. "Wolfram & Hart used to represent anything and anyone related to evil. The entire company is into serious demonic worshipping, apocalypses, the whole works. They offered us the L.A. branch to take over and we accepted. We figured what better way to fight evil than to do it from within. We now have access to great sources of information, more than we ever had before. Our files have info on all things strange, weird, and demonic. And well, you are strange."

"So you've told me," Kaia said dryly. "So you had me investigated...dug up all sorts of information on me? You also had Wesley and Spike _spy_ on me?" Angel nodded. Kaia closed her eyes and tried her best to push the anger away, but it wasn't working. "What right do you have to dig into my personal life," she asked angrily. "You had no right and you could have gotten your friends killed!"

"Look this is what we do," Angel said calmly. "To help people, we have to investigate and ask questions. I'm sorry if you felt we invaded your privacy, but it was necessary."

Kaia didn't answer for a moment. "How do you know my parents were killed," she asked, her voice even. Angel shrugged. "I just guessed," he answered quietly. "They were the only people mentioned in your file and your file stated that they were dead. I just figured when you said people have died trying to help you that you meant them. I'm right aren't I?" Kai nodded and bit her lip, refusing to cry.

Fred walked forward and grabbed Kaia's hands. "Kaia there's something about you that tells me you're a good person. It's not just the fact that you stepped into help us yesterday and you are currently still trying to protect us. It's just something I feel inside. Angel sees something in you worth saving…and…well so do I. You remind me so much of…my friend…do you remember I mentioned her earlier this morning?"

"Yeah I remember…Cordelia," she answered. Kaia noticed Angel's face hardened and his hand shook slightly as he took another sip of his coffee. Gunn's face appeared sad as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Yes...Cordelia," said Fred. "She was wonderful. She was tough, smart, and she had such a mouth on her. I see so much of her in you. The way you care so much about others and not yourself reminds me so much of her. She was just like that. If she were here, she would have agreed with us. If you think we're persistent…well when she was finished with you, you would have been begging us to stay." Fred gave Kaia a crooked smile, but Kaia pulled her hands away and wrapped them around herself. Fred noticed she was trying to withdraw, but she refused to let her do that.

"Look, let's cut the crap alright," said Fred loudly. Kaia jumped in shock at the volume in Fred's voice. "You can not just leave," she continued. "You finally meet people who care about you and you're just gonna tuck your tail behind you and run! Aren't you tired of running? Well aren't you? Answer me! Kaia nodded. "Okay, well then why are you still trying to do it? Every time you run they find you anyway. So why not let us all get to the bottom of this. We can stop them and maybe you can finally live a normal life. Well as normal as you can get."

Kaia glanced at Angel and he nodded. She then turned to Gunn and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Girl, I know I come off kind of harsh alright," Gunn said gruffly. "It just takes me a while to trust people. You seem to be on the level though and Angel's usually right about people. You gotta let us help you _and_ I think you can help us out with some cases too."

"Gunn," Angel warned.

Gunn held up a hand. "Nah man, just hear me out Angel. This girl has got some serious power and we need all the help we can get. In turn, we can help her get her life back. This way she feels like she's paying us back. I get the feeling that she doesn't accept anything for free. Why don't we ask her how she feels about it?" Gunn then gave Kaia a pointed look.

Kaia closed her eyes, as she felt herself caving. "Gunn I don't know," she said slowly.

"Look even if you decide to leave, we're still going to investigate these people who are after you," Gunn continued. "I'm extremely interested in finding out who tried to kill Wesley. So either way we'll be putting our lives in danger. So if you want us to stay safe…if you care about us as much as you seem to, then you'll stay and help us figure out what's going on. What do you say?"

Kaia looked at Angel again. "Angel are _you_ sure about this? You're putting your friends in danger for someone you don't even know."

"Now that's where you're wrong," he said. "I do know you. I know you think nothing of trying to help strangers and you're worried about the welfare of people you barely know. Plus, remember what we talked about last night. I meant what I said. I strongly believe that fate brought you into our lives for a reason. Don't you want to find out why?"

Kaia thought about that for a moment. She already knew why, but she couldn't tell him...at least not yet. But she would stay...for now. It was high time she stopped running. She needed to face down these people who were after her and take her life back. And she needed help to do that. She couldn't do it alone. Once she made her decision, she felt some of the weight leave her shoulders.

Kaia sighed. "Okay Angel. You got a deal. You help me get my life back and in return I'll help you any way I can with your cases. I'll stay...for now." Angel didn't say anything. He only nodded and gestured to the food on the dining room table. Kaia's mouth watered at the sight of the food. She hadn't eaten yet and she was famished.

Just then Wesley strolled into the dining room holding a cup of coffee in one hand. "Angel have you spoken to Kaia---," he trailed off as he saw her standing there. Kaia turned around and Wesley gawked at her, unable to pull his eyes away they traveled from her head to her feet. Her hair...her clothes...she looked wonderful...sexy even. Fred's face fell at the expression on Wesley's face. She pushed away her annoyance at Wesley's obvious interest in Kaia. Kaia needed all the friends she could get. Now was not the time to let petty jealousy overtake her. If Wesley and Kaia got together, which by the looks they were sending each other they probably would, then she would just have to get over it.

**Feedback is much appreciated! Thanks for the reviews I have gotten so far!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Warning: Very long chapter! So kick back and relax before starting to read this. On to the story...**

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Wesley slowly walked forward, his penetrating gaze still locked with Kaia's eyes. Kaia smiled softly at his blatant appreciation of her appearance. "Good morning," she greeted. He didn't answer at first, his eyes still floating languidly over her. Kaia fidgeted under his stare. His eyes were so blue; they reminded her of the ocean.

Wesley finally spoke. "Good morning," he answered softly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Kaia replied with a smile. He rewarded her with a half smile. "Yes...yes I can see that," he replied flirtatiously. He gave her another look that made her cheeks redden. What was wrong with her? She couldn't remember the last time she blushed so much. Gunn's eyes widened. What the hell was wrong with Wesley? He was never this forward with women before. Gunn smiled, amused at the sudden change in his friends behavior. He glanced at Fred and his mood changed. She was smiling, but it was forced. He was getting that feeling again...like she didn't like the idea of Wesley being attracted to Kaia. He thought maybe he was just being paranoid last night, but now he wasn't so sure. They didn't get to talk last night about it. By the time Fred had came to bed, Gunn was already asleep. He would have to find some time to broach the subject later.

Kaia was completely oblivious to the reactions of the people behind her; she was so focused on Wesley. She then glanced at the cup of coffee he was holding and saw the Starbucks label. Angel's coffee smelled good, but nothing compared to Starbucks coffee. After the day she had yesterday, she felt entitled to get some. She smiled flirtatiously at Wesley. "Hey Wesley do you mind sharing some of that Vanilla Latte with me," she asked.

Wesley looked down at the cup in confusion. "How did you know this was a Vanilla Latte," he questioned.

Kaia tapped her nose lightly. "I have incredible senses. It's one of my...shall we say gifts. Instead of answering her, he simply held the cup out to her. She smiled and took it from him, feeling a shudder go down her spine when their fingers brushed against each other. She titled her head to the side. "Don't you mind me putting my mouth on your cup," she asked him.

Wesley shook his head. "It's not a problem, unless you have a disease I should know about," he replied, his eyes lit up in amusement.

She giggled at that. She couldn't believe she was actually giggling like some star struck teenager. "No...no diseases here," she said before taking a sip of the hot liquid. She closed her eyes in pleasure. It was that good.

Wesley smiled at the look on her face. "Is it that good," he asked.

She opened her eyes and gazed at him. "Very," was all she said as she turned around to go back to the table. There were eggs, bacon, biscuits, toast, and pancakes, plus an assortment of condiments such as jelly, butter, and syrup. As she placed a bacon, eggs, and biscuits on her plate, Kaia wondered if they had a spread like this everyday because it had been a long time since she had eaten like this. She bit into a piece of bacon and her eyes strayed to Wesley again. She took a couple more sips of the coffee and then held it back out to him. "No you keep it," he said, shaking his head. "Besides, you seem to be enjoying it a whole lot more than I was." She mouthed a 'thank you' and bit into her bacon again.

The loud sound of the front door banging closed was heard. Spike casually walked into the kitchen. "Well, well, well," he said sarcastically. "You blokes started breakfast without me." Spike saw Kaia and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well what do we have here? You sure clean up good." Kaia didn't respond, choosing to only glare at him. She placed her food and coffee on the table, before returning angry eyes to Spike again. "I see that lip healed up well," Spike continued, ignoring the way her eyes narrowed further. "By the way I'm sorry about that, but you just---." He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Kaia swiftly grabbed him by the throat raising him off the floor.

"_You_...I should beat your ass for last night," she snapped. Spike clawed at his throat and his face vamped. Wesley placed a hand on Kaia's shoulder and she turned to look at him. They were now an eerie yellow and he took a step back. Kaia's eyes returned to their normal shade as soon as she saw Wesley withdraw from her. Spike dropped down unceremoniously, almost landing on his rear, as she released her fingers from his neck. He threw an angry glare at Angel, his face now back in human form. "You see what I get for trying to help out mate," Spike exclaimed. "I would appreciate it if you would tell your little she wolf here to simmer down."

Kaia's hands clenched at her sides as she resisted the strong urge she had to punch Spike. Her hands came up and she began to unbutton her jacket, feeling her body temperature rise out of her anger. She shrugged out of it and placed it on the closest chair. She caught the way Spike's eyes went directly to the cleavage that was showing above the bodice of the strappy bustier she wore. Spike whistled appreciatively forgetting about his previous anger.

"Spike," Angel warned, narrowing his eyes at the vampire.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Don't get your panties all in bunch _Angel_," he said. "You have to admit she's a _sexy_ piece of work, even if she has a little bit of a temper." He looked at her again and gave her a sardonic grin.

Kaia crossed her hands over her chest and narrowed her eyes again. "You know I understand why you were following me," she began. "What I don't understand is why you couldn't just be straight with me. Why play games?"

Spike shrugged. "I was trying to be subtle love."

"Subtle," she scoffed. "You're about as subtle as a whore at a Mary Kay convention."

Spike laughed. "Good one pet. Beauty, humor, and bitchiness...just what I look for in a woman."

Kaia rolled her eyes and turned to Angel. Angel saw the look on her face and he knew he had to try to diffuse the situation. "Spike could you behave for a minute," Angel asked sharply. "And where the hell where you last night? I thought you said you were coming straight here."

Spike walked past Angel and went directly to the fridge, pulling out a container of blood. He paused to take a long drink and then turned back around to face Angel. He shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I got caught up," he said simply.

Angel's jaw clenched. "Caught up in what," he spat.

"Nothing much," Spike answered. "Went to a bar, met a hot girl, and she took me back to her place for some fun. I thought I deserved some attention after the bruising I took last night." He then walked back over to Kaia. "I think you owe me an apology by the way," he told her as he ran his fingers down her arm lightly. Before she could react, Wesley swiftly grabbed Spike's arm and pushed him away from her. "Spike, she is not one of your whores," Wesley said angrily. "I suggest you keep your hands to yourself."

Spike held his hands up in front of him, the same sarcastic smile on his face. "Oh I get it," Spike said, his eyes straying from Kaia to Wesley and back again. "You've laid claim on the pretty little thing. It's alright mate. I'll back of the little lady." Gunn snorted trying to hold back a laugh. He had to give it to Spike. The guy could rile you up without even trying. From the expression on Wesley's face, he was definitely succeeding.

"Spike next time could you at least call back and let us know what's up," Angel said, trying to get Spike's attention back to the subject at hand, his inability to work as a part of the team. "You're not on your own anymore. You're a part of a team and this team checks in."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Okay...okay," he said tiredly. "Just relax." He took another sip of blood and moved to drop himself down in a chair. Kaia grimaced at the sight. She knew he was a vampire, but seeing him drink blood like that was just too gross.

Then she remembered last night. Angel was one too. She turned to him. "By the way you seemed so inclined for me to be straight with you. Why didn't you tell me _you_ were a vampire," she asked bluntly.

Angel's mouth opened and then closed. "Well...um...you see...you never asked," he stumbled. At the look she was sending him, he rushed to continue. "I didn't think it was an issue. Is it?"

She shook her head. "No it's cool," Kaia replied calmly. "I came to the conclusion that you were one last night. When you were pacing back and forth in front of the mirror I saw your reflection was absent. Plus, you smelled different...sort of like Spike. Not exactly like him...just not human."

"You can actually detect the difference between humans and...well...non-humans, Angel questioned, a little surprised that her senses were so perceptive."

Kaia nodded. "My sense of smell is very sensitive and as well as my hearing. Just like you huh?"

"Yeah...just like me," Angel countered with a smile.

"You also have that pale complexion going on so it was pretty easy to figure out," Kaia continued, her tone light and teasing. "Don't worry I won't stake you." She grinned at him.

Angel chuckled. "I would appreciate that," he said, his own tone slightly teasing.

"I won't stake you either," Kaia said turning to Spike.

He smiled at her and placed his container on the table. "Well thanks a lot love. Now I can sleep good tonight." She returned his smile in spite of herself.

"Is that what I think it is," Spike said playfully. "Is that a smile love? See guys. I told you I was charming."

Kaia let out a snort at that comment. She reached down and slid her feet out of her shoes, silently cursing the designer who created them. "Fred, I think we need to sue Jimmy Choo," Kaia said, as she flexed her newly manicured toes. "These heels are not meant to be worn."

"Well maybe not to walk in, but trust me they can be worn in other situations...preferably situations where you and I are both naked," Spike chimed in with a wink. Kaia ignored him and instead chose to look at Wesley. He seemed to be very interested in directly below her neckline. She reached a hand out and titled his head back upwards to meet her eyes. His face flashed pink for a quick moment before returning its normal shade.

Wesley averted his eyes and walked away a little to put some space between them. Whenever he was around this woman, it made him do and say things completely out of character. Jesus! He was just openly staring at the woman's bosom for Christ's sake! Let's not forget the blatant flirting and his barbaric reaction to Spike touching her. Kaia noticed the change in his demeanor, but she decided to ignore it. She had other things to deal with...like the question of her paternity.

"Fred I know you ordered a bunch of stuff...like other clothes," Kaia said casually. "Did you by any chance order any sweats and t-shirts...so that I can change?"

Fred didn't reply right away. She had stood by and watched the exchange between Wesley and Kaia. She had noticed how Wesley became angry at Spike touching Kaia and how he couldn't take his eyes off her. She suppressed the wave of jealousy she felt and forced a smile. "Yeah, actually I ordered some casual clothes for you to wear," she said with fake cheeriness. "But it's not what you're thinking. It's girly sweats, what I like to call lounge wear. So don't think you're gonna go back to dressing all tom boyish again. That's one of the rules I think we should make for you. You can only wear clothes that are meant for _girls _or_ women_ if you prefer that term_._"

"_Fred_," Kaia wined. Fred held up a hand. "No, you told me yourself that you've dressed like this before," she said forcefully, interrupting Kaia from going any further. "Look at how you strut in those heels. There's no way I'm letting you go back to that boyish crap. It won't kill you to admit you like being feminine. Right, Angel?"

Angel smiled. "Yeah I don't think it would kill her," he said with a half smile. "New rule...no more looking like a tom boy." With that he winked at Kaia and she smiled back, rolling her eyes playfully. "_Fine_," Kaia huffed. "Just show me what else you bought and it better not be pink."

Fred let out a genuine giggle and grabbed her hand and began leading her out the dining room. Kaia pulled back causing Fred to stop. "No there's a faster and cooler way," Kaia said with a grin. "Now I'm gonna warn you. It might make you feel a little nauseous." Kaia then grabbed Fred's hand and they both teleported out of the room.

Gunn shook his head in annoyance. "So she warns Fred, but she didn't warn me," he said. "Well let me warn you guys. That teleporting stuff makes you feel like barfing. I ain't doing that shit again!"

* * *

Kaia looked down at the array of outfits Fred had laid out on the bed. There were also bags and bags of clothes stacked up in the closet, along with boxes of shoes. Kaia had first thought that Fred had gone over board, but then she soon realized her real agenda. She had intended for Kaia to stay with them all along. It's a good thing Fred foresaw her staying longer, because her funds were too low to be splurging on new clothes. Fred was leaning against the dressing table silently studying the way Kaia was looking at the clothes. She pushed herself off the dresser and came over to the bed and picked up a light purple velour sweat suit. She held it out to Kaia, releasing a sound of irritation at the frown on the young girl's face..

"Oh just try it on," Fred said in exasperation. "It's cute. It will look cute on you. There are some purple and white Nike sneakers over there too. This is about as dressed down as you're gonna get. I know you wanna put it on. I can see it on your face." Kaia took the clothing out of Fred's hands and held it up so she could see it clearly. Fred was right. It _was_ cute and she _did_ want to put it on. It had been so long since she had dressed like this. She had the body for it so why not.

Kaia nodded and began to take off her slacks. She then slid the bustier off, leaving her only in a black strapless bra and black low-rider panties. She glanced at Fred and saw her staring at her chest longingly. Kaia raised an eyebrow. "Fred is there something you want to tell me about your...you know...sexual preference," she asked carefully.

Fred glanced up and a blush appeared on her face. "No, I'm not...like...well...like that," she stuttered. "I just wish I was a little...you know...bigger in that area," she said gesturing to Kaia's chest.

Kaia glanced down at her breasts. "They're just breasts Fred," she said simply. "It doesn't make you a woman necessarily. Besides I see the way Gunn looks at you. He is _so_ in love with you. I doubt he cares about your bra size."

Fred smiled a genuine smile. "Thanks," she said, ducking her head slightly in embarrassment.

"No problem," Kaia replied. After she was dressed in her new outfit, she walked over to check out her reflection. Her mouth gaped when she saw how much of her midriff was out. Even though she knew her stomach was showing, she was still surprised at actually seeing it in the mirror. The pants rid way too low on her hips and they were fitted around the hip area and butt. She groaned as she saw her breasts were pressed against the white tank top she wore underneath the jacket. Maybe if she zipped up the jacket? As she zipped up the jacket she saw that wouldn't work either. The jacket was almost as short as the tank top, but at least it would camouflage her bust slightly. Too much of her abs were visible though, she thought as she ran a hand down her slight six pack stomach.

"Would you wipe that expression off your face," said Fred, chuckling lightly. "You look great." Fred paused, not sure if she should say what she was thinking. "I think Wesley will enjoy seeing this outfit."

Kaia stiffened momentarily. "What are you talking about," she asked innocently.

"Oh don't play innocent," Fred responded. "I saw the heated looks passing between you too. You guys are into each other. I think it's...you know...great. It's been a while since he's been with someone." Fred awkwardly pushed a strand of hair behind her ears. She figured the only way to get rid of this jealousy was to just face it head on. She decided seeing Wesley happy would make her happy too. He deserved all the happiness in the world. She would just have to get over herself.

"Oh really," Kaia remarked with mild interest. "Thanks for the heads up, but I don't think us getting involved would be such a good idea. I have other things to worry about remember. The whole getting my life back thing kinda takes priority."

Fred nodded. "I know," she said emphatically. "But you don't want to run again from yet another thing. You've been running for a long time. Don't run away from your feelings about Wes. It may take a while to break down that shell of his, but there's a kind, sweet, wonderful man under there."

Kaia looked at Fred curiously. The way she praised Wesley you would have thought she was into him herself. Kaia was tempted for a moment to read her mind, but she resisted. Her adopted parents had taught her that not only was it rude, but you might find out something you didn't want to know in the first place.

"Okay, I'll think about it," Kaia said as she sat down on the bed to put on a pair of bobby socks. "Would you hand me those _awful_ looking sneakers over there?"

Fred scoffed. "Don't hand me that! You know you like them." Fred handed the sneakers to Kaia and crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at her defiantly.

Kaia grinned. "Yeah I know. I'm just being a bitch." She tied the laces and stood up, walking around to get a feel for them. They actually felt good. She had forgotten how great it was to wear brand name sneakers again. "Okay I'm ready to go downstairs now, but there's something I need to talk to you about first." This was going to be...well hard. It was the first time she was telling someone her secret since her best friend Amy back in high school. But after those men had tried to kidnap Amy, her and her family had moved away and had went into hiding to stay safe, leaving Kaia feeling alone again. That was the last she had ever seen or heard from her friend.

"Go ahead," Fred prompted, breaking Kaia out of her memories.

"Alright...this may seem weird but I need to know if you guys have access to someone who could run some tests on both Angel and my blood...someone who'll be discreet," Kaia said warily.

Fred's eyes opened wide. "Wait, you want me to get blood from you and Angel and then have tests run on them," she asked, her tone incredulous. Kaia nodded.

"Okay I'm actually the head of the lab at Wolfram & Hart so finding a lab is not a problem," Fred started tentatively. "It won't be a problem getting Angel's blood either. Do you mind explaining to me why you want me to do this," Fred asked, her tone indicating that she was suspicious.

Kaia hesitated. "I'm not sure you'll believe me if I tell you."

"Try me," Fred responded.

Kaia sat back down on the bed and patted the space next to her. Fred sat down facing her, her legs crossed Indian style. "What I'm about to tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, not even Gunn and especially not Angel," Kaia pleaded.

Fred instantly looked uncomfortable. "You want me to lie to Charles," she asked. "I'm not sure I can do that. He can read me like a book and I'm a terrible liar."

"All I'm asking is that you let me tell Angel whatever you find out from running the tests," said Kaia, her tone almost desperate. "He needs to find out from me, not from anyone else."

"Okay fine," said Fred warily. "But I get the feeling you already know what the results of these tests will be. What kind of tests do you want me to run anyway?"

Kaia sighed deeply. "I need you to run a paternity test. I'm not sure how it works with vampires, because he's dead and all...well not dead, but undead. The point is I need some sort of paternity test done."

Fred jumped up from the bed and crossed to the other side of the room. She spun around to face Kaia once again, her face in total shock. "Why would you need a paternity test done? Unless...Are you saying what I think you're saying? "

"That I think Angel is my father...yeah I think he is," Kaia said firmly.

"That's impossible Kaia," cried Fred. "I'm not sure if you were wondering why both Angel and Spike weren't trying to suck our blood, but the reason is they got their souls back, except Angel's soul came with a price. He killed a young gypsy girl and her family in turn cast a spell on him. If he experiences pure happiness, well like say an orgasm, he turns back into Angelus."

"Angelus," Kaia questioned in confusion.

"That's his alter ego," Fred responded impatiently. "Angelus is the evil part of Angel that lives within him, but he's controlled as long as Angel never gets _too_ happy, if you know what I mean. So you see he couldn't have fathered a child, not to mention vampires are infertile. Actually...Oh God!" Fred held a hand to her chest as she just remembered something or shall we say someone very important. _Connor!_

**Note: I know it seems strange that Kaia is revealing her secret and being so open with Fred just like that, even though she's supposed to be so guarded and secretive, but I wanted to show that they will start a bond and that Kaia realizes that the only way to get her life back is to tell some of her secrets. I'm trying to hold off on Angel learning the secret right away, but how I'm picturing it in my mind he may just find out pretty soon, but we'll have a another battle scene first. I want them to see how similar Angel and Kaia fight. Maybe it will cause everyone to start thinking. I already have the idea played out for how Angel will find out...it will involve Lindsay. Okay please review. Next two chapters involve the trip to the lab and another fight scene.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Kaia became alarmed at the expression on Fred's face. "What," Kaia exclaimed. "What's with the _Oh God_?"

"Angel has a son already. His name is Connor." Fred began pacing, wringing her hands nervously

Kaia's eyes lit up in interest. "_Really_...but where is he? Why haven't I seen him around here?"

"Because Angel used Wolfram & Hart's resources to cast a spell on Connor to make him think he was someone else," Fred replied. "He did it to protect him, so that Connor could have a normal life. He now lives with a family, who thinks he's their son. They had a spell cast on them too. Connor's even in college. Angel checks on him every now and again...without Connor's knowledge of course."

"Wait I'm confused," Kaia said, running a hand through her hair. "You said vampires are infertile right...which I already knew by the way. So how do you explain Connor then? If Angel can't have...well...you know...if he can't get off then how could he even have sex to produce a kid?"

"Well...Darla, she was a vamp Angel ran with her in the past when he was on his killing spree, would come to Angel in his sleep and...well...have sex with him," Fred told her, her face contorting at the thought of Angel and Darla together. "Angel thought he was dreaming, but it was really happening. He never told us about the dreams until it was too late. Darla suddenly disappeared from his dreams and his life all together. Then she appeared nine months later looking very pregnant. It wasn't supposed to be possible...two vampires conceiving a baby, but Connor was part of some sort of prophecy. It's...complicated."

Fred crossed the room and sat down on the bed again. "Why would you think Angel would be your father? I know you're adopted but still...I don't get it."

"I don't know for sure if he is," Kaia replied honestly. "It's just a feeling. I'm telepathic. Telepaths sometimes have dreams that are sort of like visions. I've been having these weird dreams for years about Angel. At first I couldn't see his face...I would just dream about this man only seeing the shape of his body. I could smell him too. It's the same thing I smell when I'm around Angel now. Later on, actually when I moved to L.A., I could see his face...as clear as day. I had a dream the same day I met you guys. In it we were sparring and talking and then right before the dream ended I called Angel _dad_. My dreams have come true before, so that's why I think it may be possible."

"_Wow_," was all Fred could manage. Kaia was a telepath. Lorne was sort of a seer and so was Cordelia when she was alive, but this was different. "So you feel in your heart that Angel is your dad," Fred asked slowly.

"With all my heart and soul," Kaia replied firmly.

Now she understood why Kaia was so adamant against staying. She was worried about Angel...about her father. Well they didn't know yet if Angel was indeed her father, but it could be a strong possibility. It would explain so much, especially why Wolfram & Hart messed with Kaia's file and why they even had a file on her in the first place. Fred had a sinking feeling that Wolfram & Hart knew the whole story behind Kaia's true parentage. Her face contorted in anger at that thought. She was getting so tired of their games...the way they always constantly played with their lives...especially Angel's.

"What's wrong Fred," Kaia asked, her tone worried. "Tell me. What is it?"

"It's just...I have a feeling Wolfram & Hart knew about you all along," said Fred tightly. "They had to know. Why else would they have a file on you and such a strange one too?"

"What do you mean strange," Kaia asked. "Gunn says you guys specialize in all things weird. What could be stranger than normal about my file?"

"That's just it," said Fred quickly. "Your file had nothing in it about your abilities. All it had was regular information. We only have files on things demonic, weird, or powerful in our file room. Why would there be such an ordinary file in there, unless someone deliberately took some of the information out? Someone's trying to hide something...trying to cover something up. I think we're getting closer to what it is."

Kaia's face hardened at the thought of people messing with her life. It was bad enough growing up in that lab, thinking that she wasn't worth anything but being a lab rat. Then she had escaped and found her parents but that didn't make her feel completely happy. They loved her, but deep down she never felt she belonged to them. Two fat tears finally escaped her eyes and she jumped up from the bed, rubbing her hands down her arms furiously as she suddenly felt a chill go through her body.

Fred watched her and her heart broke. It must be awful to know you were a pawn in some idiot's plan. She remembered the hopelessness and anger she felt when her professor had sent her to a demonic dimension...on purpose. "Look Kaia we'll get to the bottom of this," Fred reassured. "Come with me," she demanded.

Kaia wiped her hand across her eyes, smearing her mascara in the process. "Where are we going," she asked.

Fred crossed the room to meet her and reached up a hand to wipe away the smears of mascara. "We're going to my lab...at least the one I have here in the house. We keep vials of all of our blood here in case we need it for any reason. I can get Angel's blood and draw some blood from you. With the technology I have downstairs, we can find out almost immediately if your Angel's daughter. Go wash your face first. There's some toiletries I had sent over too while you were gone, like facial cleansers and stuff. The stylist left some makeup here for you too. It's in that small black bag there on the face basin. Go freshen up and we'll head down to the lab."

Kaia nodded and headed to the bathroom adjoining her room and did just that. As she exited the bathroom, she took a cleansing breath. "Alright let's go. I want to find out if Angel is my Dad or not."

* * *

Downstairs the guys were sitting quietly in the dining room. Wesley was working on something on Fred's lab top, while Gunn was just finishing up his breakfast. Spike finished his container of blood in one long gulp, slamming the empty container on the table. He slid his chair back and placed his feet on the table. Angel, who was sitting next to him reading the newspaper, reached a hand out blindly and pushed Spike's legs off the table. "Don't ever put your feet on my table again," said Angel calmly. He then shot a glare at Spike before returning to reading his paper.

Gunn pushed his chair back and walked over to the kitchen area, dumping his dishes in the sink. He walked back into the dining room, stopping to casually lean against the island. "Hey Angel don't you think we need to talk," he said brusquely.

"You want to talk...about what," Angel asked, his eyes never rising from the paper.

Gunn sighed. "We need to talk about Kaia...about what we're going to do about her situation. Don't you think we need to get to work on finding out just who she really is and who's after her?" That got Wesley's attention and his fingers stilled on the keypad.

"Yes Gun we do," replied Angel, finally meeting Gunn's eyes. "I need to talk to her first. She's holding back from us...not telling us the whole story."

"You think," Gunn remarked sarcastically. "All she's done since she's been here is hold back, except with Fred. The two of them are acting like they're long lost buddies or something. Not that I mind, but---."

"But what Charles," said Wesley, his tone hard as he turned around to look directly at Gunn. "You don't trust her. _That_ you've made quite clear, but the fact remains is that she needs our help."

"I know that _English_," said Gunn, reverting back to the old nick name he had personally given to Wesley. He often wondered why he hadn't been calling him that lately. It was almost as if they had drifted apart so much that he felt he couldn't say it. Now he usually just called him 'Wes' like everyone else. "I'm just saying to help her and to keep our hides in tact, we need to know everything," Gunn continued. "She needs to come clean with us...about why these people have been chasing her for 7 years. Seven years Wes. That's a long damn time to be on the run. Don't you wanna know what's she's hiding? What they want her for?"

"Yes of course I do," Wesley answered, his voice strained. "We all have questions that we need the answers too and we're going to get them. We just have to give her time. If we push her too much, she may get scared and pull away from us entirely. She'll run again."

"Wes is right," Angel chimed in, finally placing his newspaper down on the table. "Gunn you have to admit that she's relenting...coming to trust us...even if it's just a little. We just have to give it time, but---."

"But what Angel," Wesley asked, curious as to what caused Angel to pause in conversation.

Angel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I also agree with Gunn. We do need to find out what happened to her to make her so scared of trusting people and we need to find out exactly who is after her. I'll have to find a way to get some answers without seeming too pushy. Sooner or later they are going to trace her back to us. We need to be ready to face whatever we're going to be up against."

Wesley hated to admit it but they were right. They did need answers and soon her time would run out. "Alright, you both are right," he said finally. "The question is how are we going to get her to talk."

Spike placed his hands behind his head, appearing slightly bored with the conversation. He still couldn't believe that Angel had just welcomed this girl into his home...a girl he barely knew. It was obvious that she brought trouble with her. Wesley had called him last night and given him the low down on what had happened to him earlier...how he had nearly been shot. That made Spike just a tad bit annoyed. Wesley always carried himself like he had a stick up his ass, but he was good man...a good person. You could always count on him to be there, even if he was pissed at you. He was a better man than Spike was that's for sure. Just take the way he was handling the whole Gunn and Fred thing.

Fred...that girl. It irked him that she was jerking Wesley and Gunn around, even if she wasn't doing it on purpose. She can't help it if she's so cute and sweet, but she could help her actions. First, she dates Gunn, and then leaves him. Then she hooks up with Wesley months later and they date for a couple months. Finally, she dumps him, because she realizes she's still in love with Gunn. Wesley had been heart broken, especially since he had been in love with Fred even before she and Gunn had hooked up the first time. Now Wesley was still being a good sport, still being a friend to the both of them. Spike couldn't have done it, but then again he and Wesley were as different as night and day.

Now there were some interesting developments in the little 'love triangle'. A new player was in town...Kaia...and she seemed to have good old Wes all turned around. Granted, Wesley had changed a lot from his Sunnydale days. His glasses were now replaced by contacts and he had become a pretty decent fighter. He had gained some weight and added some muscle to his slender frame, but still...the way he had grabbed Spike today was well...a little surprising. Even though Wesley could take care of himself fairly well in a fight, he had never seeked one out. He was never aggressive that way. Spike chuckled softly at that. Good old 'stick up the ass' Wes seemed to be getting some balls when it came to women. Maybe Spike could continue to flirt with Kaia to get his goat...rile him up a little so that he would finally make a move on their new house guest. Angel looked over at Spike and saw him smiling. He frowned as he realized Spike wasn't even paying attention to what they were saying.

"Spike, you're a part of this team," Angel said harshly. "I expect you to listen and pay attention when we're discussing business."

Spike turned to Angel, one of his eyebrows rising as he gave Angel a look of curiosity. "Oh so Kaia is business now," he asked, his tone sarcastic.

Angel blew out a breath. "I didn't mean it like that Spike," he said, his voice showing he was clearly annoyed. "It's just that we're planning to investigate her further, so that means technically she is one of our cases now. I need to know if you are with us on this, because yesterday you didn't seem too inclined to help."

Spike scowled. "Yes you're right Angel," he replied angrily. "I didn't _want_ to help, because I _don't_ entirely trust her. But as you've said, I am part of this team and I intend to do my part. If that means standing behind you guys as you welcome a strange and very dangerous girl into your lives...well so be it."

"Look, I know you don't trust her, but at least try to be act a little more civil to her," Angel replied. "I want her to feel like she can trust us..._all_ us and that includes you. Understand?"

"Fine," Spike ground out. "I'll do my best mate, but I'm not making any promises." Spike grabbed his empty container off the table and walked into the kitchen, pausing to drop it in the garbage before standing to lean against the island next to Gunn. "Where the hell are they anyway," Spike asked. "I thought she just went upstairs to change clothes. And speaking of clothes, what about that huh? Did you blokes see her today? She's a hot little number...don't you think so..._Wes_?"

Wesley gave Spike a blank look before returning his attention back to the lab top. Spike smiled and nudged Gunn with his elbow, while nodding in Wesley's direction. Gunn returned the smile and nodded. "Yeah I know," Gunn whispered, leaning down slightly. "He's totally into her, but he's faking like he's not." Spike's smile grew broader at Gunn's words. Someone needed to give Wesley that little push he needed and he was just the man to do it.

**Note: Okay in the next chapter I'll start off with the lab scene first and then we'll go on to the next fight scene. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. The story only encompasses about 2 days and we're already up to 13 chapters! Can you guys believe it? Anyway review please.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

As Kaia followed Fred inside the lab, she began to feel oddly nervous. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the dreams were just dreams or maybe they were trying to tell her something else...but what. Fred pointed at a chair and Kaia stared at it for a moment before gingerly taking a seat. She leaned her head back on the headrest of the chair as she quietly surveyed the room. The lab looked somewhat like the lab at the military compound she was held prisoner at, but with more up to date equipment. She watched as Fred walked over to a row of white cabinets and took out a tray containing vials of blood. She surmised that it must be some sort of refrigerated containment area, because that was what would have been needed to keep the blood in a form that could be usable.

Fred washed her hands quickly with the antibacterial soap she always kept near the sink. She then dried her hands carefully, before pulling on a pair of latex gloves. She picked up the syringe and grabbed another glove to tie Kaia's arm with. She patted Kaia's knee in hopes to reassure her upon seeing the way she stared at the needle. Kaia was practically shaking.

"Kaia, it's okay," Fred said in what she hoped was a soothing tone. "It will just be a little prick and then it's over…I promise." Kaia nodded but her eyes never left the needle. She closed her eyes as she felt Fred tying the glove around her arm. She took a deep shuddering breath as she tried to push away the awful memories that were crawling back. She had did her best to suppress them…to lock them in a corner of her mind where they couldn't hurt her, but now they were forcing their way back into her conscious mind. Just the sight of that needle made her stomach clench as she remembered the various tests that had been performed on her.

Suddenly she felt a sharp prick in her arm and when she opened her eyes she realized the needle was in. Kaia watched as the syringe filled with her blood, causing her stomach to clench even further. She immediately shut her eyes to remove it from her vision. And then it was over. She felt the needle pull out and the tightness was relieved from her arm as the glove was removed. She heard Fred walk over to the other side of the room, but still her eyes remained closed as she tried desperately to push the hysteria away.

Fred removed the needle from the vial, stopping to retrieve Angel's vial of blood first from the tray on the counter, and placed both vials in the machine. It was one of the perks of working at Wolfram & Hart…access to huge amounts of cutting edge technology like this…a machine that could give information about the physiological makeup of a human or demon in mere minutes. Soon she would know if Angel had another child…if Kaia was indeed his daughter. Fred found herself praying that it was true.

She pressed a number of buttons, her eyes widening as she saw the data appearing on the screen. She didn't have time to go through each piece of information, but later for sure she would. At this point there was only one thing she wanted to know right now…and there was her answer. Oh my God! Fred turned shocked eyes to Kaia. She couldn't believe it. Yes she had been praying that it would be true because Angel barely had time to be a father to Connor before his world was ripped apart, but still she hadn't expected this.

Kaia was still sitting with her eyes closed; her hands gripping the armrests of the chair tightly. She was taking deep breaths and Fred could hear the sound of the air releasing from her lungs as she exhaled loudly. What was wrong with her? Fred wondered what could possibly make her so freaked, until she remembered how she was shaking when she caught sight of the needle. Maybe it was some sort of phobia. Fred crossed the room slowly, her face etched in concern at the distress she saw across the other girl's features. She reached down to touch Kaia gently on the arm, but was stopped from doing so as one of Kaia's hands reached up and grabbed her wrist forcefully. Kaia's eyes flew open and her eyes had turned yellow in her fear of danger coming towards her. She sighed in relief when she saw it was only Fred, her eyes immediately returning back to their normal brown color.

Kaia noticed Fred's eyes were opened wide in fear and she glanced down at the wrist she was holding tightly. She instantly dropped it and apologized. "It's just…I thought you were…I didn't mean to," Kaia said haltingly, as she tried to explain. The words however seemed to be failing her. Fred rubbed her wrist for a moment, before giving her a shaky smile. "It's okay," she said simply. "I know you weren't trying to hurt me. Everyone has phobias or fears. It's quite normal." Fred knew intuitively that this was no normal phobia. She had a gut feeling that Kaia's irrational fear of needles was somehow related to these men who were after her. "Kaia, what happened to cause this fear," Fred asked carefully. "Did someone hurt you? Was it those men? What did they do to you?"

Kaia didn't answer for a moment. "They…those men…the people who they work for…experimented on me...in a lab...on a secret military base," she said her voice wobbling, her eyes taking on a far away look as if she was somewhere else. "Every time they came with a syringe, I cringed because I knew soon there would be pain…pain so unbearable. It was all I could do to fight---." She stopped and took a moment to control herself. "It was just a horrible time…and I hate reliving it." Then she closed her eyes and when she reopened them her mask was back in place…the barrier that would protect her from the memories…from the pain.

Fred could only stare in amazement as she studied the way Kaia withdrew within herself right before her eyes. Now she was talking again, her voice sounding so different…so calm and detached. "So what did you find out…is he my father or not?" Fred could only nod. She couldn't come up with anything else to say. It was as if Kaia had two personalities…and the one she was seeing now…well she didn't know how to relate to her. But she couldn't fault her for being this way. God knows what exactly those assholes had done to her. They were the reason why she was like this. Fred knew she was only acting this way to protect herself. She just has to make it clear to her that she was not the enemy here.

Fred saw Kaia's eyes crinkle slightly at the corners in happiness at the news, but then in the blink of an eye the mask was back in place. Fred struggled for a way to pull her out of this…whatever it was she was doing to herself. She decided the direct approach may be the best. "Kaia I know what you're doing," Fred began. "I know how you feel."

"You know _nothing_ about how I feel," said Kaia, her tone suddenly defensive, her eyes turning even colder. Fred nodded. She was right. She didn't know what she was going through. At least she had gotten her to show some kind of emotion instead of that cold expression she had been wearing before. Just like her father…hiding their emotions behind a facade. "No Kaia, I don't know how you feel, but I'm trying to understand," said Fred gently. "I want to help you…in anyway I can, but you have to let me in. Don't shut me out. You know that I won't hurt you...don't you?" Kaia nodded and the coldness left her eyes, but she didn't say anything further. Fred held a hand out to her. "Now come on…I think it's time to go back downstairs," said Fred softly. "The guys are probably wondering why we're taking so long. Are you going to tell---."

"_No_," Kaia cut in. "I can't…you can't! Not yet. I don't know if I'm ready to talk to him about this…not yet."

"Okay…no problem," Fred replied. "But you have to tell him soon. He'll know something his wrong instantly when he sees you…when he sees how you're acting. What are you going to tell him?"

"I…I don't know," Kaia said, as she swept her long bangs behind her ear. "I'll think of something when we get down there. Let's just go." She held out her hand to Fred and was pulled gently to her feet. Fred gave her hand a comforting squeeze and they disappeared.

* * *

Angel was starting to worry. He knew he was being stupid…maybe overreacting, but he couldn't help it. They had been up there too long. How long could it take to just change some clothes? Angel sighed. Because they were women. Fred was probably torturing the poor girl by making her try on various outfits. Kaia acted annoyed at Fred's antics, but he sensed that she secretly like it. Being on the run for so long had made her a loner. Having someone of her sex trying to befriend her must be wonderful and scary at the same time. It's probably been a long time since she's had one of those…a friend.

His attention strayed to Wesley and his mouth twitched as he fought a smile. No one could annoy a person better than Spike, and apparently Wesley was his new target for today. Angel could clearly see what Spike could…that Wesley was attracted to Kaia…probably more attracted to her than he wanted to admit. Interesting how they had just met her yesterday, but she had seemed to touch them all in one way or another. But why did _he_ feel so close to her personally? He had never felt such protective instincts for someone…well besides…with his son.

At that thought, a wave of sadness hit him and he let out another sigh…this one deeper and louder. Connor…he missed him so much. It had only been a week since he had last seen him, but it felt like forever. It hurt…to know you had a son out there who was calling someone else 'Dad', while you were his real father and couldn't even walk up to him and talk to him. _You're a stranger to him now. Come to think of it, you were always sort of a stranger to him. You could have had a second chance to build a real relationship with him but you knew you couldn't be that selfish. This is how you wanted it. You wanted to keep him safe…to keep his life normal._ If keeping him away from all the craziness of fighting demons and vampires meant never talking to his son again…well he would just have to pay that price. It was worth it. It was worth Connor's happiness.

Upon hearing Angel sigh, Wesley glanced up from his computer screen and gazed at him curiously. Something was wrong. Angel was a natural brooder, but Wesley sensed something was troubling him. "Angel is something the matter," Wesley questioned. Angel looked at him and shrugged. He didn't respond…only picking up his mug to take a sip of his second cup of coffee. Wesley noted Angel's silence as admittance of a problem, and forged ahead. "So something is definitely wrong," he continued. "What is it?"

Angel ran his finger idly around the ring of his cup. "I was just thinking about Connor," he said, struggling to keep his tone even.

Wesley closed the lab top to give Angel his full attention. "When was the last time you saw him," he asked quietly.

"A week ago," Angel answered. "I don't know what made me think of him just now. I mean I always think about him and miss him…but just now…never mind." It was time to change the subject. "Where are the girls," Angel continued. "They've been upstairs for a while now."

Wesley realized Angel was trying to change the subject, but he decided not to push the issue. Angel didn't mean to be withdrawn with his feelings. It was just his way sometimes. He _was_ right though. The girls had been upstairs an awful long time. What could they be doing up there? That thought made his mind stray to Kaia again…the way she had looked today…so much like a woman…a gorgeous one at that. Whatever Fred did…well she had made Kaia look wonderful…and that right there was his problem. From the moment he had met this girl, she had incited something within him.

That something had changed to pangs of desire running through him at the sight of her today. Just thinking about the ample cleavage that was displaced above the bodice of that…that bustier thing she was wearing under her jacket made him hard. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and tried to will his growing erection away. This cannot happen. He can't be attracted to her. She was a client of theirs…well sort of…and getting involved with her could spell disaster. Besides, women and love just didn't seem to work out for him anyway.

Meanwhile, Gunn was quietly studying Angel. He too had heard Angel sigh and it disturbed him too, until he heard the reason. Connor. He knew it was difficult knowing you had a child out there and you couldn't be with him. Connor was now 19 and attending college. He was happy and actually had friends now…friends his own age who were just plain old average humans. Gunn wondered if maybe Angel was regretting his decision…to put that spell on Connor to make him forget his real parentage. Just then Kaia and Fred reappeared, startling him momentarily out of his thoughts.

"Woah," Gun exclaimed. "Don't you know how to use your legs? You know those things you use for walking. You can't just go around teleporting all over the place."

Spike snorted and elbowed Gunn in his side. "You're such a wanker," he said, as he stared at Kaia openly. "I for one think it's bloody awesome. I wouldn't mind her teleporting me later…to say maybe her bedroom." Spike finished with a wink. His eyes swept over Kaia, taking in her ensemble. "Nice abs there love," he commented. "You must…work out a lot…do a lot of sweating." Kaia didn't reply to his attempt to irritate her. She was acting as if she hadn't even heard him. In fact she appeared to be nervous, her eyes flitting all over the room, her fingers picking idly at her pants. No…correction…she wasn't nervous. She seemed downright terrified. Fred's expression didn't look much different. His expression turned serious. What the hell happened up there?

Angel and Wesley stood up simultaneously at the matching expressions of distress on both of the girls' faces. "Kaia, what's wrong," Angel asked as he placed his hands on her forearms gently. She didn't answer, instead choosing to pull away from his touch. She hadn't meant too. It was just all too much right now. It was one thing when she suspected it, but to find out the truth was even scarier. She finally looked into his eyes and she saw confusion, fear, and perhaps even a little hurt at her behavior, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Here was her father…her real father…standing right in front of her. What was she supposed to say? How was she supposed to act?

Fred placed a comforting hand on her arm knowing that Kaia was just feeling overwhelmed "Kaia, it's okay," she said soothingly. "Just take a couple deep breaths honey. You're starting to scare us okay." Kaia nodded but still didn't speak.

"Fred, what the hell happened up there," Angel said, without even trying to lower his voice, his eyes never leaving Kaia's face. His concern for Kaia was overriding his usual calm demeanor at the moment. He saw Kaia flinch at his tone and he forced himself to bring it down a notch. "I'm sorry," he told her. He turned his eyes to Fred. "It's just that when you left she seemed fine and now it's like she's comatose. What happened?"

Fred looked at Kaia, silently asking her what to do, because she sure as hell didn't know. Promising not to tell Angel before Kaia was ready was easier when he wasn't standing here right in front of them. She did the only thing she could think of, which was to grab Kaia's hand, hoping to provide some sort of comfort to her. Kaia turned to her and gave her a semblance of a smile, which made Fred feel relieved. Her eyes didn't seem so dead now, her smile was actually genuine. She seemed to be coming out of that haze she was just in but…would she do it. Could she do it? Could she tell Angel the truth?

"Kaia, you have to say something," Fred pleaded. Kaia took a deep breath and released Fred's hand, using that hand to run a shaking hand through her hair.

"Angel I'm fine…I'm okay," Kaia said, in what she hoped was a voice that sounded convincing. The look on his face showed he didn't believe her. "Okay so I'm not fine, but I will be," she said honestly. "I'll be okay. It's just I found out some news that freaked me out a little." She wrapped her arms around herself. "Honestly, it makes me want to run," she continued in a small voice.

Fred's mouth gaped. "No you can't," she demanded. "You promised to stop running. The only way you can get your life back is to stop doing that."

"I don't know if I can," Kaia replied, her voice trembling. "They're going to come after me. They're going to hurt him. I can't---." She stopped as she choked on the words. "I can't let them hurt another person who's…I just can't."

Gunn walked forward, his eyes intently watching the scene unfolding before him. What the hell was going on? One minute they were all gung ho on trying on outfits and now…well now there was drama again. "Fred," Gunn called out. "What's going on? What is she talking about? I thought we already cleared this up."

Fred closed the distance between her and Gunn. "We did...it's...it's just complicated now," she responded. She placed a hand on his cheek. "I can't tell you…it has to come from her." Gunn held her hand against his face, his eyes searching hers as he tried to figure out what was happening here. Why was she being so cryptic? And her eyes…they seemed so sad now. "Fred…sweetie tell me what happened," he prodded, his voice soft but firm. "The both of you are freaking me out."

Angel reached out tentatively and took Kaia's smaller hands in his own. She tensed instantly at their hands touching, but she didn't pull away. "Look…I thought we already went over this," he said trying to make his voice sound as calm as possible. "What changed? Why do you want to run again? Who's him? Who are you afraid for?"

She stared into his dark eyes. "You," she said simply. "I'm afraid for you." She waited a beat before she asked something she probably shouldn't have. "Is Connor okay…when was the last time you saw him?" Angel dropped her hands, the shock apparent on his face. "How do you know about Connor," he asked, his voice almost too soft to be heard.

"Fred told me…about him," Kaia said. "Is he okay…is he alright?"

He answered without thinking. "He's fine. I just saw him a week ago. He's doing…okay." Wait a minute why was she asking about Connor anyway? The fear and concern on her face was geniune, almost as if she was in a panic. "Why are you so concerned about my son," he asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And how did his name come up anyway? It's not exactly fashion conversation."

Kaia slid a guilty glance at Fred, who was now standing leaned against Gunn with his arms around her waist. That was an absolutely stupid thing to do…to mention Connor. It had flown out of her mouth before she could stop it. "We were talking a little about her parents…and…it-it…slipped out," Fred chimed in, eager to take the heat off of her new friend. "I'm sorry Angel. She won't tell anyone…right Kaia?" Kaia nodded eagerly…a little too eagerly.

"That still doesn't explain why she seems so concerned…you would think she knows him," Angel said, his tone suspicious. His eyes never left Kaia's face as his stare bore into her.

"I am co-co-cerned for him," Kaia replied, swallowing hard before continuing. "I just can't explain why…no-not yet." Angel took a step closer to her, his eyes turning colder. "You had better explain why…and not later…now," he demanded. "I want to know why you're so concerned about _my_ son…someone you don't even know." Kaia could feel Angels suspicion…his anger…and it hurt. He didn't trust her. Why should he? To his knowledge he only knew about one child. He didn't know he had another one.

"Angel can we just talk about this---," and Kaia's speech halted abruptly. Her body stiffened and her eyes turned yellow. Angel felt it too…something wasn't right…and his body went on full alert. The sound of wood splintering was heard as if someone or something just crashed through the front door. And then there was silence.

Wesley was silently watching the drama unfold, but his senses too came alert as he noticed both Kaia and Angel's body language. The audible sound of the front door being demolished was a dead give away to trouble as well. He turned and gave Spike and Gunn a look. Gunn nodded and ran into the kitchen to retrieve the stash of weapons they had hidden in the kitchen cabinets.

He returned with two black bags and began pulling out the contents out of one. He called Angel's name and threw an ax at him, smiling when Angel turned around just in time to catch it. He then handed a crossbow to Fred and a gun, which she cocked and readied to be fired. Angel returned his attention back to Kaia, his expression somewhat softened. She gave him a look that she hoped was apologetic and walked around him towards Gunn. She bent down and peered into one of the bags and whistled at the array of weapons. She grabbed only a couple stakes for herself, choosing to leave behind the other weapons she saw in there.

Kaia glanced at Spike as he was now peering inside his long leather trench coat, apparently checking his pockets for something…probably weapons she thought. "I'm all set here," he called out to no one in particular.

Wesley grabbed his favorite weapons from one of the bags, and strapped it to his forearms quickly, remembering to check to see if they both had weapons inserted. He smiled grimly when he saw one contained a stake and the other a curved blade. He then bent and grabbed a gun for himself, cocking it quickly, before holding it down to his side. "I'm ready here I suppose," he announced.

Gunn grabbed a gun and strapped a belt around his waist containing two blades and two stakes. "I'm set…now let's go say hello to our new friends," he said, as he cracked his neck from side to side, readying himself for the battle to come.

Kaia walked back over to stand beside Angel gripping the two stakes firmly. He didn't look at her, but he noted her presence. "Are you ready," he asked, his voice even, hiding the conflicted emotions within him.

She faced forward, choosing not to look at him either. "Ready as I'll ever be," she replied. He nodded in answer.

"Then let's go greet our guests," Angel said sarcastically as he started walking towards the living room, with five determined individuals on his heels. Little did they know this battle would reveal something important…maybe more than they were ready to handle.

**Note: It's taking long to get to the next battle scene. I know. It's just I have to be very descriptive and of course good dialogue is important too, but it also fills up my chapters so quickly. I just let my mind roam and before I know it I have over 3,000 words! Okay, I promise next chapter will be the fight scene and a visit from Lindsay, but not a visit you might think. You'll see what I mean. Aah! I have to update my other stories, but I'm stuck on this. Help! Lol...alright enough dramatics. Please review.**


	16. Chapter 15

_Here is the fight scene I mentioned in the note from previous chapter. I hope you enjoy it!_

**Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

The six individuals forged ahead into the living room to greet the danger before them. Angel pushed away the suspicious thoughts out of his mind, steeling his mind to face the fight ahead, his face hardening at the sight of his front door destroyed. There were five men standing just outside the living room...all dressed in black sweaters and matching cargo pants with heavy rugged boots finishing off the look. And they were all holding guns pointing directly at the group.

"Sorry to crash in uninvited," one of them snarled. "We figured if we called first it would have been a problem."

"What do you want," Angel asked, his voice steady and calm in spite of the situation.

"I think I'm what they're looking for...right boys," Kaia said playfully as she stepped around Angel. He grabbed her arm to stop her from walking ahead. "It's okay Angel," she said turning around to look at him. "I'm just going to get rid of their toys." Kaia turned back around to face the assailants, swiftly whisking the guns away from their hands. They floated through the air before landing at her feet. "Gunn, Wesley, Fred...keep those weapons trained will ya," she said as she bent to empty the chambers of the weapons. She lifted the bullets and the weapons in the air and floated them backwards into the dining room area. She then turned back to their visitors and dropped her spikes on the ground.

"Now...which one of your asses should I kick first," Kaia sneered. The men glanced at one another and matching smiles appeared on their faces. "We thought you would never ask," said another, and then their faces changed. _Vampires.__ Okay...didn't expect that._ "Alright...interesting twist," she commented, cocking her head to the side. "Well...I needed some playtime this morning anyway." The four vampires charged and she ran towards the oncoming danger, ignoring Angel's call to wait. She teleported in mid stride, stopping the vampires in their tracks, as they looked around for where she could have gone. She reappeared on the ceiling over one of them, her body facing outwards as her hands and feet stuck easily to the surface.

"Okay...she has got to teach me how to do that," Gunn said, as he watched her in awe.

"Hey ugly," Kaia called out, just before she dropped down landing a punch in the vampire's face as his head turned upwards toward her voice. He grunted and threw her off of him, her body landing hard on the floor. Kaia instantly flipped back onto her feet.

"Kaia," Angel called and he threw one of the stakes at her, scowling at the fact that she had dropped them in the first place. She caught it quickly and turned back around, throwing it forward where it implanted itself in the vampire's chest, turning him to dust. The stake fell, clattering to the floor audibly. "One down...four to go," she sang out, jogging over to retrieve the stake from the floor. That statement forced the other vampires into action. Kaia took them on bravely; ducking, punching, and kicking, before finally flipping backwards twice to land beside Angel again.

"A little help here would be great," Kaia remarked sarcastically, not even sounding the least bit winded at the energy she had just expelled. Angel shrugged. "You seemed to be doing just fine," he replied nochalantly. In truth, he also was in impressed with the way she handled herself. The way she fought...it was so familiar...she moved like Connor. He took a look at her face and decided now was not the time for sarcasm. "Fine...I needed a morning work out anyway," he said dryly as he bent down to retrieve the other stake Kaia had dropped and placed his axe on the floor. He walked forward and smiled at the remaining vamps. "Come on guys...I don't have all day so can we---," he started in a bored tone but was cut off from finishing his sentence when the vampires attacked him. The sight of one of the vampires catching Angel in the jaw with a hard punch threw her back into action as she teleported to land in the middle of the fray; taking on two of the vamps herself and leaving Angel to handle the other two.

Gunn started to move forward, ready to get involved in the fight himself when Fred grabbed his arm. "What," Gunn replied harshly, giving Fred an irritated look. "Fred we can't just stand here and do nothing," he cried.

"Yes we can," she said firmly. "They can handle it. Right now all you need to do is just watch." Fred then looked at Wesley. "You too Wesley...just trust me." Wesley nodded, not knowing why he was agreeing to not go in there and help. He did as she requested and then his eyes widened. He saw it...the similarity in their moves. The way Kaia punched and kicked with such power...he had only seen four other people move like that and two out of the four was Angel and Connor. The other two, Buffy and Faith, fought similar to this being that they were slayers, but this girl...she couldn't be a slayer. Where had she learned to fight like this? How could she be so strong?

"Don't you move a muscle either Spike," Fred commanded. Spike didn't respond, but he didn't move from his spot either. He was busy thinking the same thing Wesley was thinking. This girl was powerful...she fought like a slayer, but she wasn't. He knew she wasn't because slayers were always human. Just who the hell is this girl?

Kaia, oblivious to the four individuals who were currently studying her and Angel as they continued to fight, grunted slightly as one of the vampires caught her with a kick in the area of her abdomen that was already bruised. "How's that feel bitch," he snarled, proud of finally being able to get a blow in. She rewarded him for causing her pain with a swift punch to his neck, which made a choking sound come out of his mouth as he held his throat. "I don't know...you tell me," she replied, shrugging slightly. She then staked the vampire swiftly as he held his throat. She smiled ruefully as she watched him turn to dust. With her attention diverted, however, it allowed the other vamp to kick her in the face. She went down hard and glanced back up just in time to see a foot coming down towards her face. She rolled out of the way and got to her feet, wiping the blood off her lips.

"Now that wasn't very nice," she said as she stalked towards him. "Didn't your sire teach you how to play nice?" He shrugged in answer and threw a punch at her instead. She ducked and punched him hard in the groin. He groaned in pain and landed on his knees. She patted his head and then gave him another punch to the face. "You see...that's what happens when you're not nice," she said sweetly. He growled and tried to grab her, but she punched him so hard he crashed against the wall.

She turned to Angel to see how he was faring. He was doing okay...getting a lot of blows in. She felt a tingle go down her spine, a clear indication of her instincts warning her of danger. She nearly didn't catch the knife that was coming towards her, but turned and caught it quickly just as Gunn called out a warning. She threw it right back at the vampire who had thrown it at her. The vampire growled in pain as the knife landed in his shoulder. He yanked the knife out and threw it to the floor in anger. "I'm going to love eating you," he said angrily. She rolled her eyes at his comment and teleported landing directly behind the vampire. "Eat this," she said as she grabbed him by the neck and twisted it sharply, stepping back as the dust fell to the floor.

At the sound of Gunn calling Kaia's name, Angel's concentration lapsed and he turned to look at her, allowing one of the vampires he was fighting to punch him swiftly. The vampire then kicked the stake out of his hand and Angel saw it roll a couple feet away. He cursed inwardly at how he let himself be distracted. The vampire gave Angel an evil smile. Angel returned the smile before throwing a punch at the vamp. The vampire ducked and kicked out, which Angel dodged. Kaia watched Angel fight the vampire, seeing the obvious similarities in their fighting styles and she smirked.

The smile slid off her face when she sensed what the vampire was trying to do. He was maneuvering the fight so he could get closer to the stake lying on the ground. Her fear came to pass as the vampire dropped to the ground and rolled, quickly grabbing the stake. The vampire stood up and rapidly threw the stake at Angel, where it landed in his stomach. Angel bent over immediately and grunted loudly as he held on to the stake, trying to pull it out. Gunn moved forward again, but Fred stopped him. "No...it's alright," she said. "He'll be fine. I need you to just watch."

"Fred, one of my best friends has a stake in his stomach," Gunn growled, as if she couldn't see that fact for herself. "I can't just stand here, while he's hurt!"

"No Gunn," said Wesley in a firm but soft voice. "Do what she says. Just watch them...you'll see what she means." Gunn sighed but he didn't make a move to help. He would do what Fred and Wesley said, for now, but if anything happened to Angel, it would be on their heads. Gunn's mouth fell open, as he understood what they were trying to tell him. Something jogged his memory...the way Angel and Kaia fought was eerily similar. He remembered thinking that very same thing when he first saw her fight in Angel's office just yesterday morning. They were missing something...about this girl...but he couldn't figure about what.

The vampire's grin grew broader as it kicked the stake into Angel's stomach further. Angel let out an audible groan, which pulled Kaia out of the momentary shock she was in. Shock was replaced by anger as she teleported, landing next to Angel. She then used her telekinesis to pick the vampire up and threw him across the room towards the foyer. She turned to Angel and concentrated on removing the stake from his stomach. The stake appeared to move by itself as she concentrated on dislodging it with her telekinesis, before falling to the ground with a clatter. Angel groaned softly in pain, but he stood upright and prepared himself to finish the fight.

Kaia placed a hand on his arm. "No Angel," she said firmly. "I'll finish them...let me do this." Angel nodded, knowing that she was quite up to the task. Kaia felt another surge of anger course through her, as she looked over at the other vampire who was watching Angel and smiling at his agony. She charged him in anger, giving him two hard kicks to the face. As the vampire landed hard on his back, she leaped and landed straddling his hips, driving the stake into his chest angrily.

The last vampire came back into the room holding his side in pain, but he was giving her an evil grin. "What's the matter little girl," he asked menacingly. "Why so fired up? You should be glad I missed, otherwise your _daddy_ would be dust right now." Kaia stiffened at the word 'daddy' and she looked at Angel with an almost scared expression. He didn't like the look on her face...the look in her eyes. It told him that the vampire somehow knew something important that concerned him and Kaia, something that she obviously didn't want Angel to find out.

**Note: This chapter is shorter than many of the other previous chapters. This way I leave you in a little suspense Please, Please, Please Review!**


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Angel felt a sick feeling pooling in the bottom of his gut, a feeling he knew that didn't just stem from his stomach wound. "What is he talking about," Angel asked her quietly. Kaia didn't answer him, instead choosing to turn her eyes back to the remaining assailant who was grinning like a mad man.

"Yes…what _am_ I talking about," the vampire said, a wide grin still on his face. "The question is: does Kaia know what I'm talking about?" Kaia gave Angel sideways glance, realizing that he was now standing next to her, before looking down at the ground guiltily. The vampire threw his head back and laughed loudly. "So you did finally figure out about your parentage. But I'm confused here. I thought for sure you would have told Angel the truth once you found out. What's the matter...afraid he would turn you away? You're not his only _bastard_ child you know."

Wesley gasped. "Oh good god," was all he could get out. Spike's mouth gaped. Was this vampire saying what he thought or was he misinterpreting? It sounded like he was saying that she was Angel's child, but how?

"You know what...I'm about tired of your mouth," Kaia said as she walked closer towards him, her tone low, almost a growl.

The vampire chuckled and kicked a table he spied to his right sharply, breaking off one of the legs. As he bent to pick it up, he withdrew a device from his pocket and placed it on the floor carefully. He stood back up, caressing the broken table leg for a moment, running his fingers down towards the jagged edge. He laughed again as he rapidly threw the piece of wood, sharp edge outwards towards his target. Kaia moved to catch it, but only managed to knock it slightly off course. It sliced Angel on his shoulder and he let out a low groan.

Gunn clenched his hands at his side. He was tired of this shit. He moved forward and picked up the axe off the floor. Angel touched him on his shoulder as he moved past him, holding his hand out to take the axe, silently telling Gunn he wanted to do it himself. Gunn nodded. "Finish that bastard," he said. Angel nodded, but called Kaia's name, throwing the axe to her instead as she turned towards him. She caught it swiftly, before throwing the axe at the vampire using her telekinesis to make it go faster. The axe cut the vampire's head clean off and the grin that was on his face slipped away. He exploded into dust and Kaia watched as the dust fell. The room was quiet save for Angel's shallow breathing. She closed her eyes, unable to face him right now. She hadn't wanted him to find out the truth like this. She heard him call her name and she glanced at him. His eyes searched her face for answers.

"What did he mean Kaia," he questioned softly; even though he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what the vampire meant...at least he thought he did. "What he said...about you not being my only bastard child...is he saying..." He broke off not able to continue, almost fearful of her answer.

She didn't answer him right away. His stomach wound was more pressing. Kaia walked back over to him and removed his hand from his stomach. She placed a hand above his wound and her hand glowed for a moment before she pulled it away. Angel felt a sense of warmness flow through him and when he touched his stomach, he realized the wound had closed. She then held a hand to his sliced shoulder and repeated the motion, healing that injury as well. He reached up to grab her hand, cradling it in his. "Answer me," he pleaded. "Tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry Angel," Kaia said finally meeting his eyes. "I didn't want you to find out this way. I didn't want you to find out so soon. I haven't been able to wrap my mind around it myself...but yes you're my father."

"But...but...how," he sputtered, shaking his head in disbelief. "How could this be possible? It can't be. What happened with Darla couldn't have happened again. I would have known. How could you be my--?" He stopped abruptly, unable to even get the word out. His child...how could this be possible?

Gunn glanced at Fred. "Is this why you guys were acting so weird," he asked her. Fred nodded and walked towards Angel and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's tru-true Angel," Fred stuttered. "I ran the tests myself. That's why we took so long. We were talking about you and that's how Connor's name came up. She told me about her suspicions that you were her father and I carried her down to the lab to test the both of your blood. The data matches up...she is yours Angel...I don't know how, but it's true."

Angel's eyes never left Kaia's face while Fred spoke. He noticed her face had fallen, the pain in her eyes visible. He hadn't meant to react like that...he was just in shock. But now he could see his reaction was hurting her...immensely. As evidence of what he was thinking, she abruptly pulled her hand from his grasp, tearing her eyes away from his stare.

"No don't," he said as he saw her backing away. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders to stop her. "I'm sorry...for reacting that way," he said. "I'm just so confused. I'm a vampire...vampires don't have children...not like that. Connor...well...I'm sure Fred explained he was part of a prophecy. He wasn't supposed to happen. I'm not sure how this could have happened twice...not to mention you're older than him. Fred, do you know how this happened?"

"No I don't know...at least not yet," Fred answered. "But Kaia was the one that prompted the tests. She was having these dreams...about you and her."

Angel stared at Kaia. "What kind of dreams," he asked, his eyes still on Kaia's face. Tell me about them.

"I don't really want to talk about the dreams right now," Kaia said, her voice cracking. "Do we have to talk about that...right this second?"

"No we don't...only when you're ready...right Angel," said Fred in a voice that dared him to argue with her.

"Ye-Yeah...I can wait...Kaia you don't have to tell me everything right now, but there are still questions I need answers too," he said, his voice pleading with her to understand his position. "You can't just tell me I fathered a child and leave it that. How come I never knew about you?"

"I don't know the answer to that question Angel," Kaia replied, her voice sounding weary. "I've been wondering that myself...ever since I first suspected that you were my father. I didn't even want you to know...at first."

"That's why you were so against staying," he said slowly. "You were trying to protect me."

"Yeah I was," she said, her sorrowful eyes looking into his dark ones. "But look what good that did...you almost got dusted today. I told you they would find me...that they would come for me. You wouldn't listen. You could have been killed. That would have been the second time I lost a father." She backed away from him. "I should leave."

"No you can't," he said, as he moved toward her again, placing his hands on her face. "We'll figure this out. I won't let you leave like this."

"Well now Angel...you may not have a choice in the matter," a familiar voice said, causing everyone but Kaia to cringe inwardly.

All eyes flew towards the sound of that voice, everyone surprised to see a hologram of Lindsay coming out of the device the vampire had left on the floor. "Well isn't this sweet," he continued, a sickening smile on his face. "It looks like the family's all back together again...oh wait...except for the younger brother, but hey at least you have one of your kids right Angel."

"Lindsay," Angel growled. "_You._ I should have known Wolfram & Hart would have something to do with this."

"Now...now...now," Lindsay taunted. "Don't get all huffed up Angel. I was not even a part of the company when this plan was put into action. You can thank your buddy there for helping us on that." He motioned a hand to Spike and Spike's mouth fell open.

"You're a _bloody liar_," he cried. "Angel _don't_ believe him. You know you can't trust him. I don't know what he's talking about."

Angel turned to glare at Spike. "Not too long ago I couldn't trust _you_," he spat. Spike returned the glare. "I'm telling you he's _lying_," Spike replied angrily.

"Spike's telling the truth," Kaia chimed in, her eyes focusing intently on Spike. "At least what he knows is the truth...there's something blocking a part of his subconscious...some sort of mind barrier." She then glanced at her father. "Someone brain washed him...made him forget something...whatever is blocked behind that barrier could be what that asshole is talking about."

"No need for those kinds of names sweetheart," Lindsay said, his voice sticky sweet. "Like I said this wasn't my idea. Spike struck a deal with one of our lawyers to collect some of your _Dad's_ 'little men' where it would be stored until we were ready to use it."

Gunn grimaced. "Are you telling me that _Spike _collected Angel's _sperm_ and just handed them over to you? How the hell did he get it? Don't answer that last one...I'm not sure I _want_ to know!"

"Angel, do you remember there was a time you went to a certain bar and woke up feeling a little out of sorts," Lindsay continued, ignoring Gunn's question completely. "Something was slipped into your drink that night. It was a powerful drug that kept you high for almost 6 hours. Of course that feeling of an intense high brought out your alter ego...Angelus." Angel's brow furrowed in confusion, as he tried to recall that event.

"I remember something vaguely like that," said Wesley. "But Angel wasn't at a bar...it happened at that actress's house. She wanted Angel to turn her so that she could retain her youth. And it wasn't 6 hours...the effects didn't last anywhere as long as that. Plus that only happened a couple years ago. Kaia is 25 years old."

"Oh no...not _that_ time," Lindsay said with a laugh. "This happened long before that. Angel went to that bar on a tip that there was a hoard of vampires scheduled to attack there that night. Little did he know his friend Spike was the one who was responsible for him getting that tip. A young woman persuaded him to get a drink and the bartender put a little happy pill in it...both were paid off by Spike of course. And that's when the fun began...out came Angelus!"

"Wait...I remember something like that," Angel said slowly. "I woke up at my apartment feeling dazed and out of sorts. I had hoped that it was some sort of dream." Angel inhaled sharply when realization suddenly hit him. "That happened about 25 years ago."

"Exactly," Lindsay replied. "And how old is this lovely girl here?"

Kaia fought the suddent bout of naseau cursing through her stomach. "I'm 25 years old," she whispered. "Oh god," she exclaimed, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Oh God can't help you now," Lindsay quipped, a wide grin apparent on his face. "When your _daddy_ here turned into Angelus he went and had sex with the same slut he met in that bar, who coincidentally was a vampire as well. After they did the deed, several times I might add, he staked her and left. But there was one thing he didn't expect...Spike. Angel didn't know Spike had tracked him there. Spike contacted our people and one of our scientists went and collected daddy boy's semen...and well used it to create you. Needless to say...you're a petri dish baby. The egg was fertilized outside the womb of your mother and then was placed back inside her. Spike was brainwashed to forget the entire thing."

"My-my mother...where is she...who is she," Kaia demanded. "Tell me now!"

"You're in no position to make demands," he replied, his tone even. "But since you're so eager to know...well she's dead. We had to kill her."

"You bastard," Kaia spat, clenching her hands at her sides.

Lindsay chuckled again. "No, that would be you," he shot back at her. "It was her own fault really. She tried to escape with you when you were born. She had first agreed to conceive you, if we released her. Of course we were never going to let her go. She was an alien being that we had captured, who apparently had been here exploring our world. She was just a _thing. _Of course we couldn't just let her go...not without further experimentation. But she just had to play the protective mother. She didn't want you to be experimented on like she was. That didn't work out too well though did it? She was a hot number though so I heard. Apparently her species was very similar to humans in the way their bodies were made, except a couple important things...they had special abilities. That's why you're so powerful. My superiors knew a mixture of Angel's abilities grouped with that alien's power would create a powerful fighting entity...a future assassin."

"Yes...I _read_ my file...at least the small part I managed to see," Kaia responded coldly. "It said that I was the start of a group of military assassins that would be trained to kill, but I rejected most of your brain washing. _That_ didn't work out too well did it?" Lindsay's smile faltered as his words were thrown back at him. She was tougher than he thought. He thought she would have visibly fallen apart at the news she had just discovered, but she held fast...just like her father. Well, that was what they were hoping for...for her to be strong. That's the only way she could be of some use to the senior partners.

"Yes that was unfortunate," said Lindsay, all traces of fun and games absent from his tone, his face now bearing a serious expression. "We didn't expect your telepathic power to be so strong. Not to mention you escaping was something unexpected. You were only a child. We didn't think your powers were advanced enough to find a way out of the facility. But enough of that talk now. Let's get down to business. The next time we send people out...well they won't come here. They'll be heading for a college that has a certain blue-eyed boy related to you...you know...your little brother. We _will_ kill him. He won't even know what hit him. All of Connor's knowledge of fighting was wiped away, so he'll be easy pickings."

"Don't you dare go near my son," Angel warned. "And stay away from my daughter." Kaia felt a feeling of warmness enter her heart at his words, but that feeling dissipated quickly. They were threatening her brother now. She couldn't let that happen."

"Well that's up to Kaia now isn't it," said Lindsay. "We'll send instructions in three days on where to meet us. I can't wait to finally meet you in person...to get to know you better. I've never made it with an alien before. I guess now's my chance." He ran his eyes over her body with a nasty look that made her cringe inwardly.

"You.Better.Not.Touch.My.Brother," she said advancing toward the hologram. "If you hurt him, my father, or anyone else in this room, including Spike...I will kill you myself."

Lindsay only smiled, refusing to react to her threat. "Don't disappoint us, or you'll be sorry." The hologram disappeared leaving the device on the floor. Kaia glanced at Angel and saw how angry he was. He was visibly shaking. She walked back towards him and slowly reached out a hand to touch him, but he withdrew and simply walked away from her. Her hand fell down to her side as she heard him stomping up the stairs and she felt her protective barrier tearing down, brick by brick. She vaguely heard Gunn curse and she could see Wesley moving towards her in the corner of her eye. He caught her hand and pulled her to him and that was her undoing. Her hands moved of their own accord to grasp his shirt tightly as the sobs racked her body. Angel didn't want her. She knew now she should have never come back to this house. It was a mistake...and that mistake was costing her.

**Note: Jesus. This was a hard chapter for me to write. It took a lot out of me...packing so much emotion in one chapter. I was actually feeling Kaia and Angel's emotions. I'm a weirdo...I know, but it's the only way I feel I can write. I have to be able to feel it...to feel that's it's real. Everyone knows the best stories are the ones that touch you, that intrigue you, that make you feel. That's what I'm trying to do here. Please review.**


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Wesley ran his hand up and down the young woman's back in a soothing manner, murmuring words of reassurement. He felt a wave of anger hit him at the callous behavior Angel just displayed. How could he just walk away from his own daughter? Wesley knew finding out you had a child that you didn't know existed was a shock but still. How could Angel be so cruel? Because of his cruelty, Kaia was now crying in his arms, her sobs sending twinges pain through his own heart. He heard a sniffle behind him and he was quite sure that Fred was now crying as well. Kaia's sobs began to subside and she pulled back. Wesley's heart lurched at the pained expression in her brown eyes. He pushed her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek; trying to convey some sort of comfort…comfort her father should have been giving her. Her hands released his shirt as she tried to pull away from him completely, but he held fast to her shoulders.

Then her body stiffened as she felt his presence was still near. She was correct. Angel was standing at the top of the stairs concealed behind the wall silently watching the scene before him. He had closed his eyes, in hopes of blocking out the sight of Kaia crying in Wesley's arms, but his keen hearing still picked up her heart wrenching sobs. Suddenly her sobs had subsided and she had pulled away from Wesley's grasp. He knew she could feel him nearby the moment he noticed her body stiffen. He sighed loudly as he stepped out from behind the wall into their line of vision and began his descent down the stairs. She didn't turn around, as he got closer to her even though he knew that she could sense he was almost upon her. He reached out a hand to gently grab her shoulder and she spun around to face him before he could. At the look in her eyes, he found his hand falling back down to his side. She was hurt…and angry…and he was sorry.

She wasn't the only one angry. Wesley was regarding him with a look that held no sign of pity. "Angel," he began, his tone angry.

"I know Wesley," said Angel looking at his friend, interrupting the lecture he saw coming his way. "I'm sorr. I was just so angry…and...I just freaked out. I had to walk away for a moment…gather my thoughts and calm down." He then looked into his daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry," he repeated in a whisper. She gulped and looked down at the ground playing with her fingers. Wesley laid his hands on her shoulders in comfort. "Are you alright Kaia," he asked, his eyes still holding a note of hardness as he gazed at Angel. She nodded but didn't speak.

"It's okay Wesley…I can take it from here," Angel bit out, as he felt his anger returning. He knew Wesley was just being protective of Kaia, but she didn't need protection from _him_. He was her father damn it! Wesley's behavior was bringing up old feelings to the surface…feelings that were better off lying low.

Wesley raised a brow. "You wouldn't have to take it from here if you hadn't left like that," he responded.

"You know what Wes, why don't you back off," Angel said angrily.

"If that's what she wants me to do then I will," Wesley responded evenly.

Angel looked down at the ground and placed his hands on his hips in an effort to stop himself from placing them around Wesley's throat instead. He loved the guy, but he chose the wrong moment to be noble. "Look I think you need to take a step back," Angel said his voice dropping several octaves as he met Wesley's cold eyes. "She is **my** daughter and I need to talk to her. I admit I wasn't thinking clearly. I was frustrated…angry. Right now I just want to hold my child…**you** of all people should know how I would feel about having a child kept from me. **You** should know how I feel right now." Wesley's face visibly paled and his hands fell back down to his sides. He backed away a couple steps, glancing down at the ground sheepishly.

Angel stared at his daughter trying as best he could to take in every feature…every freckle on her face. His daughter…it felt so strange to think that, but yet still so right. It would explain everything…the way he felt so protective of her…the way he felt like he knew her from somewhere. He knew fate had brought her to them for a reason. He just hadn't expected this. He gripped her arms softly as he pulled her close to him. She remained stiff in his arms as he held her. He breathed in her light perfume and the fresh smell of her hair. Her very essence was now being committed to his memory as he held her tighter. She finally relented and brought her arms around him. He closed his eyes tightly when he heard her sniffling and he knew she was crying again. "It's okay," he whispered, running a hand down her hair. "It's okay now. I'm here. I'm not going to let them hurt you. I won't let them take you away."

"Shhh," he crooned, as her arms tightened around him even more. He couldn't believe that he could have lost her. Last night, she had come to him injured with a gaping hole in her chest. If not for her healing ability, she could have died without him ever knowing that she was his child. He forced himself to squelch the anger he felt rising. Wolfram & Hart…what more could they possibly want from him? Anything bad is what they would want for him. He wouldn't let them get away with this. He had lost the chance to have a life with Connor, but he would be damned if he would lose Kaia too.

Kaia pulled away from her father, wiping her hands across her cheeks roughly. She sniffled again and he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped away the rest of her tears. He smiled softly, caressing her cheek, still marveling at the fact that she was his. She returned his smile with a half smile of her own. The smile fell away from his face when he saw her eyes become clouded again. "Hey it's going to be okay," he told her.

She shook her head. "How is it ever going to be okay Angel," she asked in disbelief. "This is not just about me or saving any one of you in this room right now. It's about protecting a boy who doesn't even know who we are…my brother. They're going to go after him if I don't give them what they want."

"But what they want is you," Wesley chimed in. "We can't just let them have you. You just found your father and he isn't ready to give you up just yet." Angel glanced over Kaia's shoulder and gave Wesley a half smile in gratitude. Wesley nodded in answer.

"I know that Wesley," she said impatiently, turning around to face him. "But I don't see another way. You heard that guy. In a couple days, they'll send word and if I don't come to them, they'll go after Connor. Those people killed my mom and my dad to get to me…well my adopted mom and dad anyway. All they did was love me…they didn't deserve to die and neither does Connor."

Angel spun her back around. "That won't happen," he said firmly. "I promise you that. And you're not going anywhere with them. We'll think of something. We'll come up with a plan…we always do…right guys?"

"Right," said Gunn and Wesley simultaneously. Fred only nodded and smiled.

"Right," said Spike, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He was feeling the guilt creep into every part of his being. He and Angel would never be best friends, but that didn't mean Spike didn't care about him…even though he would deny it if asked. How could he be apart of something so…so…god he couldn't even find a word for it. He was so different now. He couldn't fathom doing something like that, but he knew it was a distinct possibility. When he was evil, there wasn't much he wouldn't have done…especially if it had meant sticking it to Angel. "Angel…Kaia…I am so sorry," he said, shaking his head and staring down at the ground. "I don't even remember ever doing that…not even when I was evil. Angel you have to know that I'm on your side now. If I would have known--"

"It's alright Spike," said Angel, and he meant it. "I don't blame you." Spike wasn't to blame for any of this. If anyone had a blame in this it was him. How could he have been fooled so easily? Brought down by a pill…a stupid pill. Angel vaguely remembered waking up and not knowing how the hell he had gotten back home. He remembered that there had been brief images rolling through his head, but he had thought it was a dream. Obviously, it hadn't been. It had really happened. Because of his stupid mistake, a child was made from him and kept in some military facility being experimented on. God knows what they did to her in there.

Kaia saw the flashes of guilt and pain cross her father's face. He walked away from her and sat down heavily on the couch leaning forward placing his hands in his hair. He looked back up to her face and then glanced at Fred. "Fred could you please take Kaia upstairs to change and rest," he asked.

"Sure Angel," she said as she walked over to Kaia and took hold of her hand leading her over to the staircase. Kaia pulled back and looked back over at Angel.

"Angel it wasn't your fault," she said forcefully. "Don't do this to yourself. Don't blame yourself for any of this."

He looked back down at his lap. "I can't help it," he said simply. "Just go upstairs with Fred okay. Spike can you go up there with them? I want some muscle near Kaia at all times."

"Sure mate…absolutely," said Spike as he walked over to where Fred and Kaia were standing. He gently prodded Kaia in the back to go up the stairs, but she didn't move.

"It's okay sweetheart…I'll be up in a little while," he said catching her gaze. "I need to talk with Gunn and Wesley for a minute. Go on." She nodded and followed behind Fred up the stairs with Spike bringing up the rear.

Wesley and Gunn exchanged a look before walking over to Angel's hunched over form on the couch. "Angel…I'm sorry for how I reacted," said Wesley.

"It's okay," Angel replied as he leaned back against the chair.

"No…it's not," said Wesley as he gingerly took a seat next to Angel.

"Yes Wesley it is," Angel said. He glanced at Wesley and smiled. "At least I know you're protective of my daughter…even though you're not for the same reasons I am." Wesley blushed slightly and rolled his eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied dryly. "She's a part of your family. Of course, I would try to protect her." His face hardened then. "Besides…I didn't do that great of a job protecting Connor. I'll make damn sure not to make that mistake this time."

"Wes…about what I said…that's water under the bridge," said Angel truthfully. "We've been over this. You did what you thought was right. You've saved my life countless times after that…even when our friendship was still rocky…you were there for me…for all of us. I'm not thinking about what happened with Connor and Holst right now. My main concern is keeping my kids safe from Wolfram & Hart."

Gunn dropped down in the closest armchair. "Man…this is some heavy shit," he said, shaking his head. "I can't even believe it. They took your sperm and mixed it with some alien chick and made a baby. They never saw fit to tell you this when you took over the firm?"

Angel snorted. "You know how they work. I don't even know why I'm surprised. This is exactly the kind of stuff they would pull." Angel jumped up from his seat and began to pace. "I just can't believe them. They thought they could do this and then just waltz in here and take her. And then they threaten my son too."

Wesley's eyes strayed to something on the floor…the device the vampire had left behind...the one the hologram had appeared from. "Maybe they weren't intending to take her anywhere," said Wesley. "Maybe they just wanted to send her a message." Angel's eyes followed Wesley's gaze and he walked over to the device slowly. He bent down and reached out his hand to pick it up.

"Be careful Angel," said Wesley as he stood up. "We don't know what other surprises that thing holds."

"Yeah…I know," he replied. "But just think of all the fun we'll miss if we don't try to find out." He then picked it up carefully holding it away from his body. He took a whiff to see if he could pick up any dangerous chemicals or explosive matter. Finding none, he brought it closer to his face to examine it more carefully. He noticed there was a variety of buttons, but he wasn't in the mood to try to figure it out right now. Besides, Wesley and Fred were better at technical stuff anyway. "Well so far we know it's some sort of communicating device," he said, still eyeing the strange device curiously. "It's the only way I can figure that we could talk to that hologram. It was something that was pre-taped."

"Let me see it", said Wesley as he beckoned to Angel to throw it his way. He caught it and began to examine it himself. He felt a button on the side and pressed it. A tray slid out holding a small mini disc and he removed it. He then pressed the button again to make the compartment return to it's original position. He held the tiny disc on his forefinger and then handed the device to Gunn, who had come to stand next to him.

"This is some high tech stuff man," Gunn commented. "Why don't we have anything like this?"

"We probably do," said Angel. "Fred would no more about the types of gadgets that we have on inventory than I would. Speaking of which, I need to go upstairs and check on Kaia. Wes…see if you can retrieve whatever information is on that disc. Gunn check out the security up front and the cameras. Those guys got in here a little too easily."

"Yeah I noticed that too," said Gunn. "Not that I'm surprised. It's not like it's the first time our enemies have come looking for us here, but I think I should get some of our contacts from off the street to help out instead of using anyone from the company. We work for Wolfram & Hart and they're behind this whole thing with your daughter. We don't want anyone from that place watching over her...anyone but us that is."

"Gunn is right…we don't know who to trust now," Wesley said, his tone worried.

"We knew we could never trust Wolfram & Hart," Angel said quickly.

"Right you are," Wesley replied. "I'll get to work on reading whatever data is on this disc. I'm sure it was purposely left in there so that we could have access to it."

"That's what I figured…we're gonna play their little game…for now," said Angel as he walked over to the staircase. He ran upstairs his only thoughts now on seeing his daughter.

**Note: Here's another installment! Please review! I crave them!**


	19. Chapter 18

_---This chapter is a much shorter than I usually write. I broke up the chapters. They were way too long! Alright read on..._

__

**Chapter 18**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Meanwhile in Kaia's Bedroom…

Kaia had changed into a pair of pajama pants with a matching tank top and was now snuggled under the comforter watching Fred scurry around the room putting away the vast amount of clothing she had purchased. All of the shoes, which included boots, sandals, pumps, and sneakers, were stacked on shelves in the huge walking closet. Fred had placed clean towels and washcloths in the bathroom for her as well. Fred…that girl had to have been a saint in her past life, because she was too sweet for words. But yet still she managed to maintain a kick butt, tough attitude, which made Kaia admire her immensely. It couldn't be easy to be the only girl around three strong men all the time, but Fred actually thrived in their company.

She was hungry and tired, but she was ignoring both feelings as she waited for Angel to make good on his promise to come up to check on her. It had been so long since she had been cared for…loved. Lorne did his best to be as loving as possible, but that was only on the occasion when she actually ventured outside. Speaking of which, she should call him…let him know she's all right. She had left his club so abruptly last night. He's probably worried. Maybe she could get one of the guys to get a message to him for her. "Hey Fred…can I ask you to do me a favor," she asked, causing the other girl to pause in her motions.

Fred placed the clothes she had just finished folding in the armoire, shutting the drawer closed. "Sure…what do you need," she asked.

"Well…I need you to get a message to a friend of mine," she said. "I went to his club last night, but I had to leave after my little run in with Spike. His name is Lorne…and well…he's a demon. The 'Host' is what they call him though in the demon underground."

Fred's eyes widened. "You know Lorne," she asked, the suprise evident in her voice.

"Yeah, why…do you," Kaia countered, furrowing her brows.

Fred nodded eagerly. "Yes we know him. He's a really good friend of ours. He even used to live with us when we lived in the hotel. And he works with us occasionally at Wolfram & Hart. He handles all of our 'celebrity' clients."

"Oh wow," Kaia exclaimed, suprised herself at the concidence. "I can't believe Angel and I both knew Lorne, but didn't know of each other's existence."

Fred sat down on the side of the bed. "How did you even meet Lorne? I was under the impression that you didn't have any friends." Fred closed her eyes in embarrassment. "Oh jeez…I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way."

Kaia smiled. "It's okay…really. You're right actually. I don't have friends or many friends anyway, but Lorne was the only person in this town I actually considered a friend. I saved his life one night and we've been cool ever since."

"Well now you don't have to worry about that loner stuff, because you have more friends now," Fred told her, her face breaking out into a wide smile. "Not to mention you gained a sweet, but sometimes overprotective father."

Angel came into the room hearing the tail end of the conversation and smiled. "I'm supposed to be overprotective," he said sardonically. "That's what fathers do…be overprotective."

Kaia rolled her eyes but she couldn't help but smile. "I'm a big girl now you know," she said sarcastically. "If I can kick demon ass, then you know I can take care of myself."

Angel shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah I know you can take care of yourself, but now it's time I take care of you," he said softly. He turned to Fred and gave her a meaningful look. Fred's mouth formed an 'O' and she hustled out of the room saying a quick goodbye.

"Where's Spike…is he still outside the door," Kaia asked, smothering a yawn.

Angel took a seat where Fred was sitting and smoothed his hand down her hair. "He's still out there," he said. "Gunn's calling a couple of his contacts to come out here. We don't trust using any men from Wolfram & Hart. When they get here, I'll place them around the grounds and a couple of them outside your door."

Kaia groaned. "Oh Angel I don't want any bodyguards," she wined. "I'll be fine. I've taken care of myself for seven years."

"Yeah…but…just humor me okay," he said softly. "It would make me feel better…okay?"

"Okay," she responded, her voice equally soft.

"Now come on…I saw you trying to hold back that yawn," he said. "Close your eyes…take a nap. I have to go back downstairs to talk some business with the guys, but I just wanted to come up here and check on you."

"Are you going to talk about me," she asked, her voice tinged with sleep.

"Yeah…that little device that Lindsay was using to communicate with us had a disc in it," he told her. "Wesley's checking it out now to see what data it contains." He paused in conversation, not sure of what her reaction would be to what he was about to ask her. "I asked Fred to run more tests on your blood," he said cautiously. "Are you okay with that?"

Kaia frowned. "Is she going to be like running experiments? I know she's a scientist. I don't know if I'm comfortable with her doing that."

"She would never do anything to hurt you Kaia," he said. "The more we find out about your body the better. You're a mixture of an alien breed and a vampire. We need to know everything about your physiological makeup just in case something happens. I'm sure my bosses have that info on you already. I just want to be prepared for whatever they decide to throw our way."

"Yeah…that makes sense," she replied. "As long as she doesn't have to draw anymore blood." Kaia visibly cringed at the thought.

"You got a thing with needles huh," he said as he took her hand in his. She nodded and he saw a brief flash of fear mixed with anguish in her eyes before it was gone. What had they done to his daughter in that place? Lindsay mentioned something about experiments…what kind of experiments. He knew she wasn't ready to talk about that place she was kept yet…at least not tonight. But she and Fred had said something about dreams. He at least needed to know about that.

"Kaia…you and Fred said something about dreams downstairs," he started, hoping that he didn't freak her out by broaching the subject. "What dreams exactly? Were they like visions or something?"

She took a deep breath and nodded again. "I've had dreams before that actually came true, but these dreams somehow were different. I started having these dreams about two figures…two men when I turned 18, but I couldn't see the faces. That had never happened before. I could always see everything clearly in my dreams. But there were things that were distinctive like smell. It all felt so real…and then when I moved here…the dreams changed. Suddenly, I could see the faces clearly. One of them was yours…the other was Wesley's.

"Wesley…you saw Wesley's face," he asked, his expression one of shock. Kaia rolled her eyes. "Yes…Wesley. Inside I was freaking out when I saw the both of you for the first time yesterday. I couldn't wait to leave that room…to get away. It was one thing to have the dreams. You could just tell yourself they were dreams...that it wasn't real. Then when I saw the both of you…I began to think maybe they weren't just dreams after all."

"This may sound like a stupid question, but how did you know which one of us was your parent," he asked cautiously.

"Because in one of the dreams, I called you 'dad'," she said, smiling fondly.

"Oh," he said simply, then returning her smile almost shyly.

"Yeah…oh," she quipped. "But I didn't really know for sure you were my father…it was more of a feeling. When Fred ran the tests…well then I knew for sure."

Angel nodded and sighed. "Well I have to go back downstairs now," he said reluctantly. "Are you going to be okay? I could stay a while longer...you know until you fall asleep."

Kaia shook her head. "I'll be fine. Go...you have to talk to the guys right? I'll just take a little nap and then I'll see you later."

"Okay," he said, as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He then got up from the bed and walked to the door, looking back over his shoulder to glance at her once more. She had already turned on her side with her back to the door. He watched her for a couple minutes before leaving and closing the door softly behind him. He saw Spike leaning against the wall and he nodded to him. Angel continued down the long hallway to his room, even though all he wanted to do was stay right there in that room and watch over his child, but he couldn't...not right now. First he needed to change out of the blood stained shirt he was wearing and then he needed to get down to business. He needed to start making plans on how he would protect his daughter from Wolfram & Hart.

**Note: Alright guys...for those of you who have also read my other Angel story 'True Destiny Continued', I'm finally going to update today and I apologize for taking a month to update. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then just ignore this.**

**P.S. Please review.**


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Angel series except my own.**

Wesley peered at the laptop screen reading through the data that was contained on the disc. He frowned every so often whenever he read something particularly disturbing, which was quite often. He couldn't believe Wolfram & Hart had done this. Scratch that. Yes he could. This is exactly something they would do. He was concerned even more now for both Kaia and her father. If Angel found out about Wolfram & Hart's plans for Kaia, if he found out what they did to her when she was in their custody, well he would be livid. Wesley wasn't too far from that emotion himself. He had just met Kaia and he was already feeling very protective of her. He looked up briefly hearing the sound of Gunn's voice, talking on his cell phone no doubt, just outside the dining room.

Gunn came back into the room, snapping his cell phone shut and sliding it into his pocket. "I got in contact with some of my old crew from the streets," he announced. "They'll be here as soon as they can. I also explained to them that this situation is of the utmost secrecy." Wesley nodded and returned his attention to the screen. "So you found anything interesting on that disc," Gunn asked curiously, as he pulled out a chair to sit.

"Yes...unfortunately Angel is not going to like it," Wesley replied as he closed the lab top cover. "Gunn the things they did to her...it was just so...inhuman. She was only a child Gunn...a little girl. The worst part of this is that they gave us this information to torture Angel...to let him know exactly how his daughter had been treated. These people are so sick. Remind me again why he agreed to take over their L.A. Branch of Operations."

Gunn sighed. "We wanted to use their resources to help people," he said, although at the moment he didn't sound too sure of his statement. "I know how you feel man. I'm getting tired of them leaving us in the dark. I know their idea of fun is torturing us, but this is too much. This is Angel's kid man. They're messing with his family."

"Exactly...they know how protective he is with Connor," Wesley said softly. "Apparently they haven't learned their lesson yet."

Just then Angel entered the room. "Who hasn't learned their lesson," he questioned, as he pulled out a chair and took a seat.

Wesley hesitated to answer. "We were just talking about Wolfram & Hart," he said carefully.

Angel's face remained calm. "Oh yeah...what about them exactly?" Angel glanced at the lab top in front of Wesley. "Did you find anything off of that disc," he questioned. Wesley nodded. "So are you going to tell me what you found out," Angel asked, his voice holding a slight note of impatience.

"Angel...you're not going to like this," Wesley replied tentatively. "The stuff that's on here...it's---." Wesley stopped, not able to explain or put into words what he found out.

"I can handle it Wesley," Angel said firmly. "Just spit it out."

Wesley clasped his hands together on the table and took a deep breath before he spoke. "From the data that was on this disc, I gather that Kaia was kept in a secret facility from conception to the age of 10. She _was_ a trial experiment for a future assassin just as Lindsay said, but she rejected some of the brain washing because of her telepathy power. She did retain some of it though, some of her fighting ability for instance. Her quick instincts allowed her to learn a lot very quickly."

"Hold up...you're telling me that they were training a little girl how to fight...how to kill," Gunn asked incredulously. "Tell me you're kidding. I just assumed she learned how to fight like that when she was older...a lot older in fact."

"You would think that, but they had other ideas for her," said Wesley grimly, glancing at Gunn. "I don't believe she got to be such a good fighter just from her time spent at that facility. I suspect that she's had further training since then, because her documented training didn't appear to be as advanced as we have seen her fight. There were also experiments. Some of them are documented in detail here." He then turned to Angel. "Angel, those experiments, they were sometimes painful. They would inject her with viruses, some man made, to see how her accelerated immune system adapted to it." Wesley paused when he saw a brief flash of pain cross the vampire's face. "Angel are you sure you want to hear this," he asked quietly. Angel nodded, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Okay...like I was saying she refused some of their brain washing," said Wesley. "But she would be punished for it...injecting her with sedatives that would last just long enough to immobilize her so that they could torture her. She finally escaped from there when she was 10 years old. Somehow she came into the care of a family who later adopted her, which we already know. But Angel she didn't just escape. They let her."

Angel gave Wesley a blank look. "Are you sure," he asked. "Lindsay seemed to be under the impression that Kaia herself escaped...on her own without any help."

"Yes...I know," Wesley answered. "It appears that the senior partners didn't tell Lindsay everything. We of all people should know that they only tell you what they want you to know."

"Okay I see your point, but why," Angel asked. "Why let her escape?"

"Because they wanted to study how she would perform in the real world," Wesley answered, his tone grim. "They've been tracking her longer than she thinks. All the while she was growing up with her adopted family, they knew where she was. That family that adopted her was on Wolfram & Hart's payroll. I'm quite certain Kaia doesn't know about that part. Unfortunately for Wolfram & Hart, the couple fell in love with Kaia and refused to return her back to them. The senior partners finally sent some people to collect Kaia when she was in her senior year of high school. That was when her parents were killed."

Angel held a hand to his temple. He was so angry he could barely see straight. Gunn looked at Angel, concerned at the anger he saw brimming beneath the surface. "Angel man...you alright," he asked. Angel shot him a look. "Okay...stupid question," Gunn commented, his eyebrows rising at the anger radiating off of his friend.

Angel pushed his chair back roughly. "I just don't understand how people can be so heartless," he cried. "I'm a demon and I'm not even like that!" He placed his hands on the back of the chair as he hunched over, his eyes focusing on the table cloth as he forced himself to calm down.

"You're not like that because you have a soul man," Gunn replied softly. "They don't. They're cold, heartless bastards. We already know this."

"Yes...don't we ever," said Wesley dryly. "They've crossed a line here Gunn. She was only an innocent child, whom they treated like a possession. Now they want her back...to finish their work."

Angel looked up. "What work exactly," he asked, his voice still hard but calmer.

"They intend to make her kill someone," said Wesley avoiding Angel's eyes.

"Who," Gunn asked. "Is it someone we know?" Wesley looked at Angel again and said, "Yes...we know him quite well."

Angel stood up straight. "It's me isn't it," he asked. "I'm who she's supposed to kill. What better way to hurt me than to have my own daughter attack me? I'm right aren't I?" Wesley nodded.

Angel pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration apparent. He paced the room back and forth, his hands on his hips, his lips set in a thin line. He just couldn't fathom the idea that 25 years ago, a child was conceived that was a part of him. All those years, she spent without him. He didn't even get the chance to see her grow up...just like Connor. He closed his eyes, sighing deeply. Apart of him wished this nightmare had never happened, but only because he hated thinking of Kaia being in pain all alone without him there to take care of her. The bigger part of him welcomed this situation they were now in. No matter what he couldn't regret what happened, he would never regret her existence, not after he had held her close to him. He only regretted her being hurt in the process.

* * *

Kaia sat up in bed swiftly with her heart beating out of her chest; her body coated with a fine sheen of sweat. Her eyes flew around the room frantically, searching for something familiar, inwardly hoping that he would be there. He wasn't. She had to find him...see if he was okay. That dream...that nightmare...it had been so real. It couldn't be real. He had to be okay. She swiftly threw the covers off her body and jumped out of the bed. She concentrated and teleported, landing directly outside the dining room area. She padded softly into the dining room, causing the three men to start, all of them looking at her curiously. Her eyes however were focused on only one of them. As she drew closer to him, she saw him get up from his seat and walk towards her, closing the distance between them.

"Kaia...are you alright," he asked, holding her gently by the shoulders. She nodded dumbly, unable to give a response. She was just so happy to see him...to see him alive. She shuddered involuntarily at the images of him lying on the sidewalk, his body riddled with bullets, the blood pooling underneath him. He ran a hand down her cheek, trying to stroke some kind of response from her but she continued to stare at him, her expression slightly dazed. He glanced over at her father, seeing the matching alarming expression that he knew was on his own face that very moment. He then pulled her into his arms and held her, not knowing exactly what else to do to calm her. She in turn placed her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest, sighing as she felt his hand stroking her hair. Wesley continued to smooth his hand down her hair, while the other hand rubbed her back. What could have caused her to act this way? What had happened?

** Note: Here's another installment. I'm wondering if I should bring Connor into this story or wait until I write a sequel. Tell me what you guys think.**


	21. Author Notes

**Author Notes **

I have to apologize to everyone who was following this story. I don't think I will be finishing this story as I had hoped, at least not anytime soon. I would like to instead concentrate on the last two that I posted since those are the plots floating around in my head right now ('Since That Night" + 'True Destiny Continues'). I do intend to finish this story because it bothers me so much that I haven't. By the time I do finish though, no one will probably be interested in it anymore, but that's okay. Again, my apologies. It is not your fault that muse jumps from one thing to another or that it disappears entirely. Please forgive me.


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